Chapter 357

"All right, this is your accommodation for the next three months." A receptionist opened the door, led Zheng Tan's group inside, and said.

This person was sent by Yang Yi; Yang Yi had already arranged the lodging—a three-bedroom, one-living-room unit, enough to accommodate Zheng Tan and the people he brought.

"Is there anything else you need?" that person asked.

Cha Li looked around, especially focusing on the room arranged for Zheng Tan; as an "assistant", having served him for several years, Cha Li already knew Zheng Tan's preferences well, and could tell at a glance whether it was suitable. Obviously Yang Yi still valued Zheng Tan highly; the room's arrangement left Cha Li very satisfied.

When arranging the lodging, Yang Yi had already consulted Cha Li and Jiao Ba, so naturally there were none of the things Zheng Tan disliked, such as disliked foods, certain smells, etc. The window sills had also been newly fitted with safety nets to prevent accidents.

"Nothing for now." Cha Li said satisfiedly.

"Fine, if you need anything just give me a call." That person exchanged contact information with Cha Li, mentioned the daily arrangements, then left; he still had to report to Yang Yi and arrange follow-up matters. Even though he was very curious about that black cat, he restrained himself, as one of Yang Yi's confidants, knowing what to ask and what not to ask. Being curious is fine, but you need discretion.

Besides Cha Li, there were four other people accompanying Zheng Tan; not all of them were here to "serve" Zheng Tan—Cha Li alone would suffice. They came at the request of Yang Yi and Kong Han; among them, some work as lighting technicians in Xiao Guo's studio, some as sound engineers. Regardless, they have experience filming cats, so they know which lighting affects a cat's mood, which sounds disturb it, etc., and they have also studied cat vocalizations.

In Zheng Tan's view, much of this is unnecessary, but since Yang Yi and Kong Han requested them, and Xiao Guo personally ordered them over, Zheng Tan doesn't bother to interfere—after all, he's not the one paying salaries. Why worry so much?

Even though his current profession is pet photography, most people in Xiao Guo's studio are professionally trained and very familiar with the industry.

The film hasn't started shooting yet; several people are sitting on the sofa watching TV and chatting. Zheng Tan occupies a sofa chair by himself, listening to their conversation.

This city is coastal. It's fairly prosperous; I've heard it's Kong Han's hometown, and the choice of filming location here was made by Kong Han as the "screenwriter-director". Recently some people have criticized the "screenwriter-director" phenomenon, saying it leads to films "lacking depth, low creativity".

Actually, speaking of it, this script is indeed not innovative; similar tropes appear in many comics and novels, but Kong Han seems to have his own obsession, just like when Yang Yi filmed that documentary—only a trigger is needed for them to pick up again that deep-seated obsession.

I've heard that Kong Han used to be a cat owner, raising cats since childhood.

Another person with a story.

In the residential complex arranged by Yang Yi, the higher floors overlook the sea; from the 18th to the 20th floors, Yang Yi has placed people, and Zheng Tan's group is on the 20th floor, from whose living-room window the distant sea can be seen.

Zheng Tan glanced at the window beside him; the sky outside was a bit bluer than in Chu Hua Shi, clearly indicating that the environment and air quality here are much better than in Chu Hua Shi.

Cha Li and those people were discussing the information they knew; the film's cast had been roughly decided, and just earlier, while in the elevator, they had spotted someone who seemed to be a financier, intuitively recognizing them.

"Hey, do you guys know if Wei Wen has arrived?" a person about the same age as Cha Li asked eagerly.

Naturally, when a bunch of guys get together, the first topic is women; as the lead actress, Wei Wen is naturally one of their main discussion points, and besides Wei Wen, they also discuss several supporting actresses.

"I haven't seen Wei Wen, but when I went to park I saw a girl whose every move could cause a huge stir." The speaker also gestured at his chest, wearing a lecherous expression.

"Is she also part of the crew?" several others asked, eyes bright.

That person shook his head, "Doesn't look like it."

The other few immediately drooped, but soon perked up again to discuss other actors.

Just as they were speaking, the doorbell rang.

The closest to the door, Cha Li went over and peeked through the peephole, then gestured to the few on the sofa. They exchanged glances, sprang into action, and the lecherousness from their earlier discussion of inappropriate topics vanished instantly. They had no choice but to be careful; if anything went wrong, they'd have to pack up and scram.

Before coming, Xiao Guo had told them that the film crew was not their work team, nor the original documentary crew; there could be many little tricks here, a cat can't guard against everything, so naturally they have to deal with it. It's not that they're maliciously guessing people's hearts—human hearts are inscrutable, so being cautious is always good; nobody wants to help others set up a ladder only to harm themselves.

The one who entered was a woman in her mid-twenties; women always make men let their guard down a bit. She wore casual clothes, black hair shoulder-length; although not strikingly beautiful, when she smiled her eyes curved, making her look quite likable.

"Sorry to disturb you; I live downstairs, surname Yang, Yang Huai xi, from Easy Prosperity Culture. May I ask if you're also with the 'Black Cat' crew?"

The woman surnamed Yang introduced herself; she's the agent for a few junior actors downstairs, just came by to pay a casual visit. After a brief chat with Cha Li and the others, she left her gift and went away.

After closing the door, Cha Li and the others resumed their discussion.

"Bringing a gift for a casual visit? Or is it high-end tea?"

"They're probably probing for information."

"They share the same surname as the big boss of Easy Prosperity..."

"I doubt there's any connection; if there were, would they need to come in person to investigate?"

"That's true."

"But we still need to be more careful; I think someone downstairs wants to use our black……zt to gain prominence."

Zheng Tan merely listened a bit to Cha Li and the others' discussion; the sofa chair faced the window, and when Yang Huai xi entered, due to the angle, he didn't see Zheng Tan. Zheng Tan didn't care about those people either. What he was thinking about was what Jiao Ba had told him when leaving Chu Hua Shi.

When filming the documentary, Jiao Ba had said not to be too "clever", but to be able to "make mistakes"; filming a movie demands even higher technical skill for making mistakes, so Zheng Tan was pondering how to make mistakes appear natural.

Compared to Zheng Tan leisurely pondering how to make mistakes, the cast's lead and supporting actors are much more nervous, especially the newcomers selected this time, fearful of making a slip-up. A single error could lower the director and the big boss's favorable impression of them.

Of course. Getting along with the crew, especially some of the more important people, is also very beneficial for those junior actors; otherwise Yang Huai xi wouldn't have come up to inquire.

While they were tentatively feeling each other out at the temporary residence, on the other side Yang Yi had finished listening to his subordinate's report and was chatting with Kong Han.

Kong Han hasn't filmed many movies, but the response has been decent; he's just young. He hasn't managed to make a satisfying name for himself domestically either. Kong Han likes to use newcomers; the lead in this film isn't a true A-lister, and the so-called rising young stars in the industry are mostly just laughed at—fleeting fame is common, especially since he took the idol route to fame. Moreover, several important supporting roles are played by people whose names nobody has heard of, and there are also a few newly signed actors. Of course, most are still from Easy Prosperity Culture.

Yang Yi has money; he personally invests to promote his own people, and nobody would complain. As for who exactly will be promoted, it depends on their performance. This drama has no superstars; Yang Yi, the big boss of Easy Prosperity Culture, personally being on set to watch the filming means something, and the Easy Prosperity actors all know it, which is why they're nervous.

Kong Han and Yang Yi are both people of high standards. Kong Han believes that computer-generated special effects in film can to some extent compensate for actors' inability to perform certain high-difficulty or dangerous actions, but they will never replicate the unique, charming expressions that actors themselves possess. Many famous actors often achieve a transcendent state through just a smile or a gaze, leaving a lasting impression on people. Therefore, Kong Han has always believed that using a real cat in this film, with less computer-generated effects, would be more effective.

As for Yang Yi, his focus is not on this film; unlike the documentary he truly poured heart and emotion into, this upcoming movie is merely a channel, an opportunity he provides for his subordinate actors to showcase themselves.

Easy Prosperity Culture can't compare to those entertainment-industry giants with some history, so Yang Yi wants to create a star, to create his own superstar under Easy Prosperity Culture.

At the top of the pyramid of professional actors are the extremely rare superstar-tier actors.

Domestic stars are many, but genuine movie stars are few; superstars who can bring investment trust and box-office returns are even rarer. In the domestic film market, the number of true superstars capable of drawing audiences into theaters is extremely scarce—no more than about ten men and women combined—and this is still the overall lineup of the Chinese-language film market formed after integrating resources from both sides of the strait and three regions. Other actors, although they seem explosively popular, cannot in fact guarantee box-office success, and this includes many names familiar to audiences.

Nowadays, the value of a superstar lies more in investment matters. When a film can boast a truly luxurious cast, investment issues are instantly resolved. When a film has a batch of big stars, its future box office can be anticipated, and investors will readily pour in huge sums, not only to pay actors' salaries but also to spend on sets, stunts, equipment, and every other aspect. Therefore, when a commercial film attempts to gain some innovative possibilities in its creation, it must have these big stars as a safeguard—for directors, this is often a very helpless reality; Kong Han counts as one of the few in the director circle who does this, but who knows what the future holds; this is the rule of this commercial era.

Only with superstars can Easy Prosperity Culture truly rise in this circle.

Once, while filming "City. Person. Cat", Yang Yi had considered turning Zheng Tan into a superstar as well; sometimes, if handled properly, animals can draw box office more easily than people, and there's no proof that this can't happen in the future. It's a shame his wish wasn't fulfilled—from the time of the documentary, the Jiao Family's reaction already hinted at it, and when signing the contract for this film, it directly dispelled Yang Yi's idea.

"So, you want to watch those newcomers act their hearts out?" Kong Han looked at the person across the table.

Yang Yi gave a hehe laugh, jokingly saying: "Actually I'm more looking forward to watching those newcomers and a cat act their hearts out. Don't think that cat will just follow directions and do a few motions."

However, Yang Yi reckons that the cat will probably hide its clumsiness. (To be continued...)