Chapter 18: The Road to Success

When……

After getting used to all kinds of strange looks, after getting used to the mockery……

Shen Long gradually discovered that many things were actually not that difficult.

The so-called self-respect was actually not that important either.

In itself……

He had nothing, he was worthless!

……

The morning passed quickly.

The weather gradually began to get hot.

The sun scorched people's skin with a faint burning sensation.

But they stayed here the whole time, propping up a table, a chair, and that crude recruitment poster, sweating profusely, introducing the film to every passerby.

Actually, quite a few people stopped to ask, but those who were truly interested in this film were not many.

In half a day, hardly anyone was willing to join their team.

They were simply too cheap, cheap like a scam film crew, a shell company.

"Let's wait a little longer."

"Alright, Boss Zhou, then today……"

"Today we're staying right here!"

"Alright!"

For lunch they ate a few packs of instant noodles and drank some mineral water.

Zhou Yang watched the bustling film crew in the distance, yet still sat there in silence.

Shen Long looked at the few remaining business cards, nodded, chugged a bottle of mineral water, rested for a while under the shade of a tree, then stood up again and continued manning the stall.

Chen Jianfeng, on the other hand, carefully read through several documents, comparing the contents, occasionally taking out his phone to contact some locations, preparing for the shoot.

If……

If even they themselves gave up, then who would still hope for them to succeed?

Time ticked away bit by bit.

By the afternoon, the scorching sun finally sank into the clouds; although the earth was still stiflingly stuffy, making it hard to breathe, the skin felt much more comfortable.

Not far away, the "Love Ferris Wheel" film crew seemed to have some incident and stirred briefly……

But it quickly returned to calm.

Around three in the afternoon……

A young man, head lowered, left the crew.

Just as he was about to leave, he spotted the stall over here.

After a moment's hesitation, he gritted his teeth and finally walked over.

"Hello, are you looking for a cinematographer here?"

"We are!"

"Any requirements?"

"As long as you can shoot a film……"

…………………………

In the office.

The cool air-conditioning was blowing.

An Xiaoshi sat in a chair, reading the script over and over, looking at the streamlined crew staff list, looking at the upcoming crew work arrangements.

In the crew work arrangements, it seemed every step had her in it, but in every step her role seemed not very big.

"We need Senior Brother's traffic, his fans are a lot! Sometimes, we can only compromise……" Zhang Jingya beside her looked at An Xiaoshi and said this with a complicated look in her eyes.

After hearing this, An Xiaoshi nodded: "I know, but…… is this really the film we want?"

"We don't have any works!" Zhang Jingya sighed.

"Is this really our work? Isn't it just a shell work?"

Hearing An Xiaoshi's counter-question, Zhang Jingya lowered her head, and after a long while, finally looked at An Xiaoshi: "Whatever kind of work it is, as long as it has traffic, box office, influence, data, that's fine……"

An Xiaoshi looked at Zhang Jingya, she opened her mouth, but in the end didn't say a single word.

Her gaze once again turned to the window.

Evening, a patch of orange-red sunset clouds surged at the horizon.

Not far away, she saw that the inquirers at Zhou Yang's stall had grown more and more numerous.

She glanced at her phone; there were many missed calls, and also message after message, all asking why they had been replaced out of the blue……

An Xiaoshi didn't know how to respond to them.

"Sometimes you have to be a little ruthless in life!"

Zhang Jingya was well aware of An Xiaoshi's current emotions; after thinking for a while, she finally offered this one line of comfort.

An Xiaoshi, however, said nothing, but continued to turn her head and gaze at Zhou Yang's stall in the distance for a long while……

"I'm going out for a walk."

"Want me to come with you?"

"It's fine……"

Just as An Xiaoshi was about to walk out of the office, she suddenly stopped: "Oh right…… Jingya……"

"What is it?"

"If I leave this film crew, will you come with me?"

"Are you crazy? At this point, you want to leave the crew? How much money did we invest? You just want to leave now? Once we leave, the money we invested in the early stages cannot be refunded..."

"..."

An Xiaoshi nodded.

Finally, she pushed the door open and walked out of the office.

Zhang Jingya watched An Xiaoshi's back, hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not chase after her; instead, she sent her a text message.

"Calm down! Don't be impulsive; we need their resources!"

"..."

………………………………

Dusk.

More and more people came to Zhou Yang's film crew to inquire.

However, most of them were graduates of Yan Ying...

From their mouths, they learned that a batch of staff members from the "Love Ferris Wheel" crew had been replaced, and they were the unlucky ones who had been replaced.

Cinematographer Zhang Yunyi lingered in front of this small stall for a long time, then looked again at the "Love Ferris Wheel" in the distance.

His emotions were somewhat bitter and indignant!

He had joined the "Love Ferris Wheel" crew very early on.

For a month, he had diligently helped with all sorts of things, thinking that after filming began, he might not be the lead cinematographer, but at least he would still have some shots and camera positions.

But today, he was suddenly told he would be transferred to the production staff...

This news struck his head like a bolt from the blue, smashing down hard.

He went to argue with the crew...

But the crew's response was almost exactly the same.

"Sorry, after repeated reviews, you currently lack some filming experience..."

He anxiously showed the person in charge of the crew a series of his past works, but that person's expression remained complex throughout.

After a long while, he finally spoke a sentence.

"Actually, this is the company's decision, Tianyu's decision... If you cannot accept it, you can leave; your wages will also be calculated and paid to you according to the standard..."

Zhang Yunyi was stunned on the spot!

When he walked out of the crew, seeing that the absurd, joke-like "Sun Wukong vs. Superman 2" crew was still here...

He finally approached with a tentative mood, silently.

"Can this movie really succeed?"

"In this world, there were originally no roads, but as more people walk, they gradually become roads..."

He looked at Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang, with a smile, spoke these words.

Upon hearing these words, he suddenly felt a surge of spirit!

Immediately after, he fell silent for a long time, watching Chen Jianfeng and Shen Long at the stall, constantly introducing this movie to others.

Watching this unreliable, nonsensical movie...

He actually felt that he also wanted to try filming...

After an unknown amount of time, he finally nodded.

"Then I will join and try!"

"Sure, welcome! Welcome!"

……………………

The sky was turning dark.

But the number of people gathering in front of Zhou Yang's stall was increasing.

Standing in the corner, An Xiaoshi watched Zhou Yang introducing his movie with complex eyes...

The sun set.

Zhou Yang's face always bore a smile and confidence; with the gentlest voice, he sketched out beautiful blueprints for each inquiring figure.

Some hesitated for a long time.

Finally, they joined the crew.

Among them...

Were cinematographers, prop masters, and production staff members she had once favored...

Roughly five or six people.

The sunset gradually sank behind the mountains.

The streetlights on both sides lit up.

Under the streetlights.

She saw Zhou Yang stand up and stretch.

Immediately after, these newly joined people began helping to move things.

Vaguely, she heard Shen Long excitedly explaining their filming plan to these people.

These people listened very seriously and were also very excited, each speaking up about their own ideas for this movie...

A group of disheartened people formed a small crew, moving forward toward a movie that was neither funny nor sad.

She suddenly felt a bit envious of these people.

Long after these people left...

She remained silent for a long time, finally taking out her phone and calling Zhou Yang.

"Zhou Yang."

"Hmm?"

"In my film crew's warehouse, there is some camera equipment; much of it I bought myself. If you need it, I can lend it to you..."

"Oh?"

"Good luck!"