Becoming a Movie Star, System Only Finished Loading After Ten Years
Chapter 99 - 0098: The Chickens in the Village Are All Eaten (Requesting Monthly Ticket)

Chapter 99: Chapter 0098: The Chickens in the Village Are All Eaten (Requesting Monthly Ticket)

"Qi Hao, in the movie you’ll need to interact with these two donkeys, so it’s best to get familiar with them now."

The director came over after hearing the noise and saw Qi Hao confronting the donkeys.

"Alright, I’ll get familiar with them."

Yeah, make sure they’re cooked well.

How should one befriend two donkeys?

It’s all about controlling the heat, of course.

"Ask Mr. Hu for more guidance," Li Dawei turned his head to introduce Mr. Hu and said, "This is our male lead, a big star, with the most scenes involving the donkeys."

"I know, I know, Yang Guo!"

This is probably the extent of the show’s national reach, such that even in such a remote village, there are people who can recognize Qi Hao.

However, Mr. Hu wasn’t fanatical.

His attention towards Qi Hao was not as much as towards his donkeys.

Next, Qi Hao followed Mr. Hu to feed the donkeys, brush their hair, and even learned how to talk to them.

Unfortunately, the donkey’s lips couldn’t match the horse’s mouth, Qi Hao and the donkeys didn’t understand what each other were saying.

Luckily, Qi Hao did indeed become familiar with the donkeys.

Mr. Hu told Qi Hao not to mention donkey meat stew, donkey meat hot pot, or anything like that in front of the donkeys. Though donkeys don’t understand, they might feel the killing intent.

My destiny is controlled by me, not heaven, live each day as it comes.

As long as you’re alive, who would want to be turned into donkey meat stew?

Besides bonding with the donkeys, Qi Hao also followed the director to explore and set up scenes.

Filmmaking can draw from local materials and use existing scenery for composition, but such composition requires discovery.

Director Li Dawei, art director Han Zhong, and photographer Du Jie were busy with this every day.

Han Zhong has worked as the art director for "Hero" and "Ambush from All Sides".

Du Jie is a young photographer who has been working since 2004, starting with Ning Hao’s film "Green Grassland", and has since photographed many works.

The most famous one is probably "Crazy Stone".

This is probably the awesomeness of the second generation, whether Li Dawei admits it or not.

If he didn’t have his parents’ connections, there’s no way he could have gotten Comment, Han Zhong, and Du Jie to join his five million low-budget movie.

Moreover, these experts offered friendship prices.

What Qi Hao learned from Li Dawei, Du Jie, and Han Zhong were these basic things.

Being a director isn’t easy.

Such foundational things are taught in schools, and there are assignments to practice outside of class.

It’s a pity Qi Hao never attended school.

So, if he truly wants to be a director, he must seek guidance from people in the crew.

Regarding Qi Hao’s aspiration to become a director, Li Dawei didn’t find it strange.

However, his suggestion to Qi Hao was to start with TV dramas.

Since TV dramas don’t demand such detailed requirements, they’re perfect for practice.

"You’ll need to consider lighting issues, add some light if possible; morning light isn’t great."

Du Jie held the camera and conducted a test on the distant mountains.

Li Dawei recorded several parameters in his notebook.

"I have a question." Qi Hao squatted next to them, watching like a freshly graduated middle school honor student.

"Go ahead, ask."

The trio then remembered Qi Hao was there.

Face must be given, after all, Qi Hao is part of the investment, and he’s a major investor who contributed two million of the five million budget.

The remaining three million isn’t from a single party.

The largest producer, Celestial Universe Xin Yu International Media Co., Ltd., only invested 1.2 million.

However, the project is registered with Celestial Universe Xin Yu, and unless the project is re-initiated or a copyright transfer agreement is signed, ownership won’t change.

The agent of the largest investor, Qi Hao, asked many questions.

He received answers from three professionals.

These three were all from the Beijing Film Academy, indeed they were as professional as possible.

Qi Hao’s questions were somewhat amateurish, making the professionals chuckle.

"Qi Hao, if you really want to pursue the path of directing, why not let me recommend you to the Beijing Film Academy for further study?"

Han Zhong graduated from the Beijing Film Academy’s Film Art Design program.

Seeing someone eager to learn, he felt a sense of appreciation for talent.

"Huh? School?" Qi Hao repeatedly waved his hand and said, "No, no, I just want to learn a bit, I’ll read books myself."

As someone who struggled with school, and someone who dreaded education from a young age, Qi Hao had a natural fear of schools, attending school was more painful to him than death.

Sitting on a school chair, his rear would feel sore.

"Just reading, then you need to read a lot."

Han Zhong didn’t persuade further; he just casually mentioned it. Whether to go or not was Qi Hao’s own decision.

Mature social interaction means not interfering in others’ destinies.

"Get more hands-on practice. If not, I’ll give you an assistant director position in this movie, and you can learn from me?"

Li Dawei genuinely considered plans for Qi Hao.

Qi Hao was willing to participate in his low-budget film, without knowing the screenplay by Comment, the art direction by Han Zhong, and the cinematography by Du Jie.

Li Dawei felt that this was Qi Hao’s emphasis on him personally.

Making him appreciate that a friend who truly understands is hard to find.

"That works too, how much is the salary?" Qi Hao’s eyes lit up.

This was way more interesting than filming a music video.

"Come on, we haven’t asked you to pay tuition." Li Dawei couldn’t help but tease.

"I’ll treat you all to lunch!" Qi Hao said with a serious face.

Two hours later, a few people sat under the big locust tree at the village entrance, each holding a box of instant noodles.

"So, you’re treating us to this?" Du Jie was stunned.

"Isn’t it tasty? If you don’t like it, I’ll give you back my mushroom flavored one." Qi Hao raised his instant noodles.

"Forget it, I like this braised beef flavor. At the very least, you could have asked the locals to help kill a chicken." Du Jie thought he was still young, constantly eating like this might make him lose weight.

"The chickens in the village have all been eaten by our film crew." Li Dawei laughed.

The film crew of more than a dozen people was staying in the village, with a construction team helping set the scene.

Even though they weren’t living in the village, meal delivery from the county was out of the question.

After a busy morning, a few people were eating instant noodles in the village.

"Once we officially start filming, food and lodging will be an issue. How about asking the villagers to cook for us?" Han Zhong quickly finished his instant noodles, even drinking up the soup.

Born in the 1960s, he truly experienced hard times.

"Villagers cooking?" Li Dawei was puzzled.

This really shouldn’t be their concern; a production manager would arrange food and lodging.

"In our rural areas, when there’s an event, we temporarily set up a big stove and cook with a large pot. I ate that when I was little; it was pretty good, definitely better than boxed meals." Han Zhong felt his stomach start to rumble again, even after eating a bowl of instant noodles.

"Okay, I’ll have them set one up. If it can’t feed everyone, we’ll just have a small kitchen for us." Li Dawei was very tempted.

Boxed meals rarely taste great, especially in such remote little counties.

"Let’s have a gathering tonight. Both Wan Qian and Yue Hong have arrived, and I’ll treat."

Qi Hao thought, if he wanted to spend thirty minutes in a female star’s room, he first had to build a good relationship with her.

Treating to a meal was the first step.

"Let’s have mutton soup or gourd chicken." Du Jie, being a foodie, couldn’t resist the temptation.

In such a small county, there were only a few places worth eating at.

In the evening, Qi Hao awaited his task’s target, Wan Qian, whom he personally cast in the role.

"Teacher Qi Hao is treating us? Ah, thank you, Teacher Qi Hao."

Wan Qian was very polite to Qi Hao, as she knew he was a representative of the investors.

Frankly, she was often harassed by people like this.

Some even directly proposed casting couch requests.

It’s not easy for female stars in the entertainment circle.

Wanting to rise often comes at a cost.

Of course, the worst are those who pay the cost but still don’t rise.

"No need to be polite, Teacher Wan Qian, Teacher Yue Hong, please take a seat and try the local dishes." Qi Hao pulled out a chair for Wan Qian, acting like a gentleman.

Yue Hong sat on the other side of the director, so he didn’t need to fawn over her.

During the meal, the main topic of conversation was entertainment gossip.

For example, Dong Jie and Pan Yueming held their wedding ceremony.

Pan Yueming is considered a popular young actor, though not as famous as Qi Hao.

Dong Jie starred in "Golden Family," regarded as the dream girl of many, marrying Pan Yueming was a match made in heaven.

As for Hu Jing marrying the Malaysian billionaire Zhu Zhaoxiang with a net worth of five billion, that truly was a tale of beauty and wealth.

Additionally, Nie Yuan, one of the four young actors, also got married a few days ago.

Chen Huilin has also gotten married.

There are many celebrations in the entertainment circle lately; it’s been very lively.

"Qi Hao, don’t you plan to get married?" Du Jie asked curiously. Most of them behind the scenes were already married.

Career and marriage don’t conflict at all.

If regular idols choose not to marry temporarily to cater to fans’ emotions, then Qi Hao, already an award-winning actor moving into the acting faction, a marriage wouldn’t be a big deal.

"Have anyone you like? If not, I can introduce you to a few."

Han Zhong, being older, immediately thought of playing matchmaker for Qi Hao.

This also showed Qi Hao was indeed excellent.

"Haha, why did this topic come up suddenly? It’s a bit awkward. I’m still young, no rush..." Qi Hao was a bit speechless.

This was inevitable.

As a single star like him, it’s very easy for people to be concerned about his romantic matters.

"Born in ’81, turning 28 soon, you’re not that young."

Du Jie was in his early thirties, and his daughter was almost starting school.

"I remember you acted in a drama with An Feng, didn’t any sparks fly?"

Li Dawei had directed "Golden Family," featuring An Feng.

It was An Feng’s debut.

"Let’s not joke about me, let’s talk about movies and the entertainment industry."

Qi Hao seemed uneasy, he really wasn’t good at handling such matters.

A wise person doesn’t fall in love, a cast-iron pot must stew a big goose.

"If there’s no one, consider the female lead of our movie. If neither is married, sparking romance due to the film would be a great story!"

Han Zhong had a sudden idea.

Qi Hao and Wan Qian sitting together, he thought they were a good match.

The only issue was their unequal statuses.

Qi Hao was one of the four hotshots and an award-winning actor, now involved in capital, while Wan Qian was only a second or third-tier actress.

However, in Huaxia’s view of marriage, a stronger man and a weaker woman is more stable.

If the woman is too strong, life becomes very stifling.