I am a Big Player
Chapter 168 - 166, Serious Xia Yuting (Second Update)_1

Chapter 168: 166, Serious Xia Yuting (Second Update)_1

No matter where one goes, there would always be one or two outgoing individuals who enjoyed striking up conversations with others—it seemed they had a natural talent for finding common ground with strangers.

Just as Ren He was about to walk inside, a short, bald young man nudged him with his arm and asked, "Kid, which role are you here to audition for? The lead?"

Ren He was taken aback for a moment and looked around; was the other party talking to him?

But he heard the other party continue without waiting for a reply, "I’m here to try my luck and see if I can land the role of that young monk in Kunlun who has a lot of screen time! If I get it, I’ll be set!"

The young monk? Ren He rolled his eyes—no wonder the other guy had shaved his head; it was so freshly done that not even stubble was left. He was really going all out. However, the appearance of the young monk in Kunlun obviously required one to look quite handsome, and him...

But Ren He wasn’t going to voice his thoughts aloud, "Heh, good luck to you."

"What number are you?" the other man asked.

"Huh?"

"Didn’t you get a number from the crew?" the bald youth asked curiously, "You better go get it quickly, or you might end up having to wait until evening. I’m number 36 and will be going in soon!"

"Um... thanks for reminding me. I’ll go get it right now," Ren He replied, not wanting to engage in further conversation, and walked into the courtyard. Encountering a staff member, he softly explained his intention to see Zhou Wumeng, with whom he had an appointment.

Ren He then vanished inside the courtyard and never came out again. The bald young man waited for him to collect his number, intending to see him when he emerged, but that never happened...

At that moment, amidst the crowd, Xia Yuting, who had crossed paths with Ren He a few times before, stood reading Kunlun intently—unlike those around her who were playfully chatting away.

This was her fourth time going through the book. Xia Yuting always felt that to stand out, appearance was now secondary—there were plenty of beautiful women; they wouldn’t miss one more. So she immersed herself in Kunlun, endeavouring to understand every character inside and out, what lay at the core of their hearts, and even how the author or director viewed these characters.

Even though Xia Yuting was just a freshman, only 18 years old, she had already spent time in many film crews and played numerous roles, though mostly as an extra. Some classmates advised her not to strive so hard, to study quietly and wait for the possibility of a big director selecting her at school for instant fame.

But Yuting always felt that approach seemed insincere. She would rather work her way up step by step, earnestly experiencing the entire process of filming.

Yuting stood out in the crowd, being the only one still holding a copy of Kunlun. Many thought she was cramming at the last minute, not realizing this was her fourth time reading it.

She was dressed simply today, in a white V-neck, form-fitting T-shirt that showcased her well-endowed upper body and a waist that could be encircled by a hand. Below, she wore a complex yet subtly mysterious long cotton and linen skirt reaching down to her ankles, her delicate and well-formed ankles looking particularly attractive, complemented by spotless white canvas shoes. This attire differed from her usual style but still accentuated her elegance.

At 18, she possessed a unique and tempting charm, which, even without considering her familiarity with Kunlun, made her shine in the group.

However, she didn’t seem inclined to mingle with others. In her view, everyone was in competition at the moment, and it seemed pointless to waste time on trivial courtesies.

Yet, as she occasionally looked up, she suddenly caught sight of a vaguely familiar figure disappearing into the yard. Xia Yuting paused to recall the information related to that silhouette in her mind.

Huh, isn’t that Duan Xiaolou, Ren He’s middle school classmate? How come he’s here? Could it be a mistake?

Xia Yuting has a fairly good impression of Ren He. After all, clean and refreshing boys like Ren He aren’t that common anymore. There’s an indescribable confidence inside him, and confidence always makes a person more charming.

However, Ren He’s charm attributes also played a significant role. Under the influence of a charm attribute +3, as long as he’s not doing something weird, men might not be too affected, but women tend to have a good impression of him upon first meeting.

But what’s a middle schooler doing here with the film crew? Is he here for the auditions too?

Xia Yuting stood alone in the crowd with a smile and didn’t intend to verify her suspicions, assuming she was mistaken.

...

Ren He followed a crew member inside. As soon as he registered his name, the person had an ’Aha, you’re Ren He!’ look, saying that Elder Zhou had already mentioned he would be coming, and then led Ren He inside.

Inside was indeed a different world. Although the yard was shabby, it had the advantage of being spacious. The crew’s vehicles and equipment were all stored here. Many crew members were busy checking the equipment, and several people were discussing something with documents in hand.

This crew seemed quite lively, as if everyone was working hard towards a common goal.

Ren He had heard that a new film crew needed a period to gel, and experienced directors would often schedule less important scenes at the beginning to work out the kinks in the team. By the looks of it, this crew already had great synergy, probably because it was Zhang Ming’s seasoned team. At this point, Ren He grew interested, having never had the chance to meet such a renowned director in his previous life.

Before he got close to the house, he heard Elder Zhou’s hearty laughter. After the crew member led Ren He there, they left, and Ren He knocked on the door: "Elder Zhou, it’s me!"

He then heard Elder Zhou laugh from inside, "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. I guarantee you’ll be utterly surprised when you meet him!"

Another loud voice complained, "You’re quite tight-lipped, refusing to tell me what the author looks like, no matter how much I pleaded."

The door creaked open, and there stood Elder Zhou. Upon seeing Ren He, he chuckled and pulled Ren He by the wrist inside, saying as they walked, "Come on, let me introduce you to our esteemed director, Zhang Ming!" With that, Zhou Wumeng turned to another spirited elderly man in the room and said with a smile, "Here, this is Kunlun’s author, Ren He, a middle schooler!"

Zhang Ming appeared to be only in his fifties or sixties. He sized up Ren He and then looked back at Zhou Wumeng, "You can’t be serious, Kunlun was written by a middle schooler?"

Ren He gave a wry smile; that was indeed a little hard to believe. As Zhang Ming was examining him, Ren He also took the opportunity to assess Zhang Ming: Wearing a simple T-shirt with a white towel nearby which he occasionally used to wipe his forehead, he lacked the airs of a bigshot and instead resembled an ordinary old man.

"What, you think I would joke about such a thing? This is the author you’ve been longing to meet, the real deal!" Zhou Wumeng said with a laugh, seemingly having looked forward to Zhang Ming’s reaction upon first meeting Ren He. To this end, he had sought Ren He’s opinion in advance, asking if he could reveal his identity to Zhang Ming, who wouldn’t idle away his time leaking Ren He’s identity. Ren He had casually agreed, as there was nothing for him to hide.

Moreover, there was no interaction between Zhang Ming and either Ren or Mrs. Ren, so there was no need to worry about exposure through them.

...

As usual, have a bite to eat, and later there will be a Chapter with a bounty for extra updates.