Chapter 360

Although Zheng Tan really wanted to let this 'Three Kingdoms mixed-blood' suffer some fleshly pain, he considered that if he got injured now it would directly delay the whole production crew's progress—every day is money, and he'd be uncomfortable with himself—so he temporarily gave up the idea; he still wanted to finish filming early so he could still celebrate New Year's Day.

Change the actor?

Since they managed to get this person to play the male second lead in this film, which basically stars actors from Yi Xing Culture, and it was still through connections, that means there is an exchange of interests involved; if trouble arises, Yang Yi's intelligence will surely come up with something. Zheng Tan also planned to have Yang Yi send him a red envelope, so the idea of making him suffer some fleshly pain could only be suppressed for now.

Since we can't directly be harsh right now, we can also make the other side feel uncomfortable.

While Zheng Tan was thinking about how to make Luo Na De feel uncomfortable, the production crew officially started filming.

For the past few days Zheng Tan had no scenes, but he was still summoned by Yang Yi to the set.

All the teams in the production crew were ready—camera, sound, lighting, art, etc., each in place. Unlike the relatively relaxed atmosphere when Zheng Tan filmed documentaries, the set was filled with a tense atmosphere, possibly because of Yang Yi's **oss presence.

Yang Yi had Zheng Tan come over to familiarize himself with the set, and also to watch the other actors in the shoot and spend more time with them. Of course, this task was actually handed to Charlie, and Charlie, who gets talkative when nervous, hasn't stopped chattering since he arrived on set.

"Your first scene is filming waking up—the scene where the male protagonist sleeps, turns into a cat after a nap, and gets up in the morning. Don't think it's simple; we need to carefully observe how the male lead usually gets up…… Also, your expression should have that groggy, not-fully-awake feeling—do you know what a hazy feeling feels like? If not, you could first take a nap…… Also, don't forget to brush your teeth properly when the time comes; I heard they'll shoot a close‑up of a yawn, and if there's meat fiber stuck between the teeth it won't look good—teeth need to be white, so open your mouth and let me see your teeth……"

"Blah blah blah" a bunch of things to pay attention to, Zheng Tan felt his ears never got a moment of peace.

Yang Yi is busy now and can't attend to Zheng Tan's side. Kong Han is also busy, and the several actors with roles are each occupied with their own things.

Generally speaking, after the script is studied and the actors are decided, the filming of the movie enters the pre‑production stage. During this period, the director and actors conduct rehearsals, which is very beneficial for role analysis and acting preparation. Through this rehearsal process, the director and actors together study how to make the character portrayal more successful. Often, this work can last several weeks or even longer, but this time we are rushing; it's already September, and if we delay further, some scenes will be hard to shoot due to weather, so there isn't much time to let the actors mull over and practice—only the lead actors get more time with the director. This is why Zheng Tan and the others have not seen the male and female leads these past few days.

Everyone is busy, only Zheng Tan is idle enough to make people jealous.

Charlie held the script, still there worrying and pondering, muttering to himself, while Zheng Tan sniffed the air and slowly walked in a certain direction.

"Hey, where are you going? Wait, don't run around, this is the set……" Charlie didn't have time to say more, and he and four others hurried after Zheng Tan.

"Charlie, look over there!" someone jabbed Charlie with an elbow.

"What are you looking at? Now isn't the time to be staring at celebrities." Charlie didn't lift his head, his gaze followed Zheng Tan, and he kept clutching the script in his hand,.

"No, look!"

Charlie had no choice; he lifted his head and looked in the direction his companion pointed.

"Fuck!" Charlie said in a lowered voice.

The place Zheng Tan led Charlie and the others to was where a big‑eared dog wearing a gold collar was squatting—it was none other than the Pharaoh King who had been slapped in the car that day.

Pharaoh King also saw Zheng Tan, wagging its tail and staring intently this way; presumably its owner had ordered it to sit there obediently and not bark, which is why it was so well‑behaved. Otherwise, if it weren't under protection, Yang Yi wouldn't easily allow someone to bring a dog onto the set.

However, this film does seem to have a scene with a dog, but according to the original script it should be a small Yorkshire Terrier, not this big Pharaoh King.

While Charlie and the others were thinking about how to leave quickly, a voice came from over there.

"Yo! What a coincidence!"

The owner of that voice walked over to the Pharaoh King; seeing the dog wag its tail hard, you could tell it was its master.

Charlie and the others' hearts suddenly fluttered with anxiety; when that person just said "What a coincidence," their face showed no hint of surprise, obviously they had known we would come here.

"As I said, they wouldn't let it go!" the two who had gone out with Zheng Tan that day whispered.

"Damn, he won't go looking for trouble with the ……z, will he?" another said.

Just as they were saying that, Yang Yi called Charlie and them over.

"Old Wang, you mean these people?" Yang Yi pointed at Charlie and the others, who looked uneasy, and spoke to the person who was stroking the dog's head.

"Yeah, you don't know— that cat has a terrible temper and is bold as brass; it was lying on the car window and came over and slapped me." Old Wang said with a grin, showing no sign of anger.

"That's definitely because you provoked it first." Yang Yi affirmed.

Old Wang just smiled, didn't rebut, but his eyes were fixed on Zheng Tan's direction.

Zheng Tan wasn't afraid either; he had figured it out when he saw the dog—whether or not they had come looking for him on purpose, if they confronted him now and the other side insisted on pursuing it, he could still get Yang Yi to help settle it; but if he backed down, then later when trouble showed up at his door, who would help him? He's unfamiliar with the place.

The owner of the Pharaoh King hound bears the surname Wang; although Yang Yi calls him "Old Wang," he is actually in his mid‑thirties, under forty, looks like a nouveau riche and indeed is one, but he knows Yang Yi and Kong Han, and from the tone Yang Yi uses when speaking to him you can tell they get along well. After Charlie came over, Old Wang also chatted with him, which considerably eased Charlie and the others' nervousness.

"So you're saying the Yorkshire Terrier's role was changed to this Pharaoh King?" Charlie looked at Yang Yi.

"Yes. We've already negotiated with the Yorkshire Terrier's owner; we'll just let Mika take its place, and the script has been slightly adjusted—take a look." Yang Yi said.

Originally this Pharaoh King hound was named Michael by Old Wang's wife; Old Wang wanted a more Western‑sounding name, but after going back and forth, Old Wang, the poor student, kept saying it sounded like someone selling cards, so it became the current Mika. Having such a clueless owner must be tough on Mika, Yang Yi thought.

So that's all there was to it. Charlie and the others immediately relaxed.

"Hehe, this also counts as 'no fight, no acquaintance.'"

"Indeed."

Mika has been trained. It's just prone to getting carried away. That day it barked at the car window just to show off, and the sneeze—Zheng Tan now knows that, when not in a trained state, this dog will sneeze if someone stares at it for more than fifteen seconds.

Zheng Tan stared into Mika's eyes. Ten seconds passed. The fellow couldn't sit still, and after another nearly five seconds, a dog sneeze burst out.

Keep staring. It kept sneezing, twisting left and right and making low "ah‑ah‑ah" sounds, looking embarrassed. Of course, this is only the reaction of well‑meaning people staring at it; if someone had ill intent, the treatment would be completely different—roaring doesn't count, but lunging and biting are possible.

The production crew was also polite to Old Wang, as were several actors; they probably knew he was a potential investor, and even if this film had no investment, there would be one later, so it's wise to stay on good terms.

Leaving that spot, Charlie and the others were talking in the narrow corridor when a few people approached.

"Please make way." The person in front forcibly shoved Charlie aside, clearing the path for those behind.

Although the corridor isn't wide, three could walk abreast, but that person blocked Charlie and the others to the side, leaving them unable to move an inch until the whole group had passed, whereupon they let Charlie and them go.

"Hey, Charlie, who are they?"

"The person walking in the middle is Luo Na De, an idol star. You two didn't go out that day, so you didn't see him."

"Oh, that's him—he's not exactly a big deal, yet he's so arrogant." one muttered.

"He's got backing. Forget it, it's nothing, don't worry about it."

Following the principle of "step back and the sea and sky widen," Charlie led the group onward, while Zheng Tan overheard the words of the people who had just walked past.

"Just now we were a bit too forceful; we don't even know the other side's background." The speaker was the person beside Luo Na De, likely an assistant or similar role.

Luo Na De chuckled indifferently, "It's just a cat‑feeder, and you actually think they're capable of much?"

Hearing that, "It's just a cat‑feeder," the tone was exactly like the way some richly dressed people Zheng Tan had seen mock rural folk by saying "It's just a farmer."

This is naked contempt.

Looking down on Charlie?

Isn't it just a cat feeder?

Not much ability?

Hmph, just wait and see!

Those few people spoke quietly, likely also out of concern for their image; nobody else noticed, but Zheng Tan's hearing is sharp, and he took note.

After filming began, Zheng Tan saw the two leads, Wei Wen and Shi Xiao Tian.

Wen has already been idolized as a goddess-level figure by many young people; her personal charm needs no elaboration. Shi Xiao Tian, who plays the male lead, is the type adored by everyone from teenage girls to women in their fifties and sixties—a bright, sunny young man.

Both Wei Wen and Shi Xiao Tian know the rules, or rather, they know how to restrain themselves; they have a clear self-image: they are not big names, they lack powerful backers, and they must work hard to improve their standing in the boss's eyes—naturally they strive to display their strengths. On set, whether it's the lighting crew, prop masters, or even the faceless crew members, their behavior is always proper; they neither lower themselves nor act aloof.

Having just exchanged a few words with Shi Xiao Tian and Wei Wen, Cha Li is now excited, holding an autograph and sharing his thrilled feelings with four other companions, while Zheng Tan is much calmer; he sees Wei Wen and Shi Xiao Tian walk over to speak with someone adjusting a camera, calling that person 'Teacher Jiang,' and his demeanor is polite and somewhat respectful.

Meanwhile, not far from Zheng Tan, Tao Qi and Xue Ding, who were memorizing their lines, stood leaning against the wall, with Yang Huai xi quietly speaking to them nearby; if they were just rehearsing lines for their scenes, Zheng Tan wouldn't pay much attention, but they were talking about the person in charge of filming.

"That person's surname is Jiang; Tao Qi should know him—he's in charge of the filming and also a teacher at your drama academy. On set, he has the authority to call "stop.""

Zheng Tan glanced at that middle-aged man whose appearance was truly unimpressive, a person easy to overlook yet not to be ignored.

After thinking it over, Zheng Tan walked over there. (To be continued…)

PS: I overestimated my typing speed, planning to post extra chapters on the big release day, but I've only managed to write one chapter so far. I've posted it, and will continue typing the next chapter, though friends who work or study should still get to bed early.