Reborn as a comedic artist

Chapter 118 Northwest Hammer King

The laughter in the makeshift rest shed was so loud it almost lifted the roof off.

"Oh my god, I can't take it anymore..."

"7

A rough, hearty male voice burst into laughter, panting heavily. It was none other than Wang Lei, the talented actor affectionately known by netizens as the "Northwest Hammer King."

At that moment, he pointed at Wang Shuo, who was wearing a red cotton-padded jacket and swaying his waist like a barrel, in the monitor playback without any regard for his image, and laughed until tears streamed down his face.

Sitting next to her, Tong Liya was also laughing hysterically, clutching a tissue tightly in her hand, wiping away tears while waving her hand: "This—this is too ingenious, Xiaoming, how did you guys come up with such a creative idea?"

Their gazes darted back and forth between Cheng Ming and Wang Shuo, who was huddled in the corner and hadn't had time to remove his makeup.

Wang Shuo wished he could disappear into a crack in the ground.

He hadn't changed out of his "rich woman" outfit, and the two patches of red on his face looked particularly comical in front of the two big stars.

"Please excuse my poor manners, teachers."

Cheng Ming remained calm, handing over two bottles of water with his signature gentle smile: "It's because of limited funds, we can only rely on creativity to succeed. Wang Shuo has indeed made a great sacrifice for the cultural tourism industry in our Northwest."

Wang Lei stopped laughing and looked Cheng Ming up and down.

The young man in front of me, dressed simply, looked like he was walking a runway.

Although this young man has been trending online for the past month, with terms like "musical genius" and "master of pranks," seeing is believing.

This isn't just a genius, this is a prodigy!

"Cheng Ming, oh Cheng Ming."

Wang Lei unscrewed the water bottle, took a sip to moisten his hoarse voice from laughing, and teased in his broken Shaanxi dialect: "I've been acting for over ten years, and I've never seen anyone like you who's more handsome than me, sings better than me, and is so good at making jokes."

Tong Liya also recovered, looking at Cheng Ming's angular face with admiration in her eyes: "Truly stunning. It's only been a few days since that promotional video for the ancient city, and the pacing and unexpected charm are something many veteran screenwriters in our industry couldn't write. It's just that I'm too old; if I were ten years younger..."

""

Although it was a joke, the praise in his tone was genuine.

Faced with the praise from the two seniors, Cheng Ming was not at all conceited. Instead, he bowed slightly and adopted a very humble posture: "Sister Ya Ya, you are being too modest. What do you mean by 'ten years younger'? You have only just turned eighteen a few years ago. You are in the prime of your youth and full of vigor."

This flattery was delivered subtly, both tactful and sincere.

Although Tong Liya was used to compliments, her smile became even brighter when praised by such a handsome man.

Cheng Ming turned to Wang Lei, clasped his hands in a gesture of pleading, and said, "As for Brother Lei, please don't be polite with me."

"If you praise me any more, I'm afraid you might get excited and unleash the power of the 'Northwest Hammer King.' My delicate skin isn't as resilient as Sister Xiulian's; I can't withstand your hammer."

"Ha ha ha ha!"

Wang Lei burst into another hearty laugh, pointing at Cheng Ming and saying to his assistant, "Listen to this kid's mouth! No wonder people online say he has high EQ; this isn't high EQ at all, he's just trying to fool people!"

He stood up, walked over to Cheng Ming, and slapped Cheng Ming hard on the shoulder with a force that truly resembled that of the "Hammer King": "Fine! For that 'Xiulian' of yours, I'm your brother! From now on, if anything happens, just say the word. As long as it's not illegal or disorderly, I'll definitely back you up!"

After a few jokes and banter, the initial awkwardness of working together for the first time instantly vanished.

Chatting is fine, but we can't forget about business.

As the sun gradually sets in the west, the light on the Loess Plateau softens, making it the perfect time for photography.

Cheng Ming's playful expression vanished, replaced by a focused and serious one. He pulled out a tablet from his backpack, pulled up the pre-prepared demo of "Sending Off the Bride," and handed it to the two of them.

"Brother Lei, Sister Ya Ya."

Cheng Ming's voice calmed down, and his slender fingers swept across the screen: "Wang Shuo's version just now was designed to create a buzz on the platform, using extreme ugliness and contrast to attract traffic, but this is only the first step."

"The first step?" Wang Lei raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He knew this was Cheng Ming's usual tactic.

Cheng Ming nodded, his eyes shining: "Yes, we need to be able to handle the influx of traffic. Just being funny makes you an internet celebrity; you need content to make it cultural tourism!"

"I need you two to help me shoot a 'proper' music video."

"This version should continue the tragic love story of Sun Shaoan and Tian Runye in 'Ordinary World,' where they couldn't have each other. Just as funny as Wang Shuo's version, ours should be just as heart-wrenching."

Cheng Ming pressed play, and the mournful guitar music instantly filled the entire rest area.

"This song is called 'Sending Off the Bride.' I want the kind of heart-wrenching feeling where we are clearly in love, but we have to separate because of reality, and in the end you marry someone else, and I can only stand on the mountaintop playing the suona to send you off."

Wang Lei and Tong Liya listened quietly.

As the melody progressed, the smiles on their faces completely disappeared, replaced by a sense of immersion unique to professional actors.

They looked at each other and saw the surprise in each other's eyes.

That kid... he's too ruthless.

First, they made netizens laugh to death with Wang Shuo's "rich woman" image, and then they made netizens cry to death with their "tragic" performance.

The dramatic shift between laughter and tears will undoubtedly propel this song, this place, and even the wave of nostalgia surrounding "Ordinary World" to an unprecedented peak of popularity.

"Good tactic."

Even though he was used to it, Wang Lei still couldn't help but take a deep breath, his eyes becoming profound.

Tong Liya nodded, her eyes even slightly reddening from immersing herself in the emotions: "This song is really well written, the imagery is so vivid. Xiaoming, what do you suggest for filming? We'll listen to you."

"good!"

Cheng Ming turned to Li Feng, who had been adjusting the equipment, and said, "Old Li, time to get to work! Take the two teachers to change; we're going to the cliff!"

The subsequent filming was simply a visual feast.

What is expertise? This is expertise.

Without Cheng Ming needing to give much direction, Wang Lei changed into a worn-out sheepskin coat and stood by the loess cliff. The sense of vicissitude in his back view was almost overflowing from the screen.

He didn't need to speak; the mere act of bowing his head and lighting a cigarette conveyed the sense of powerlessness a Northwestern man feels in the face of fate.

Tong Liya changed into a red wedding dress and sat in the wedding car (an old-fashioned jeep found by the production team). The moment the car window rolled down, tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks. The deep affection in her despair made Cheng Ming, who was watching from behind the monitor, hold his breath.

Li Feng was in a state of euphoria, running up and down the stairs with his equipment, muttering to himself, "So beautiful—the lighting, the composition—Old Cheng, this footage is absolutely amazing!"

As the final shot came on, Wang Lei stood atop a hill, holding a wildflower, watching the departing convoy. The filming was complete, and the setting sun bathed the entire Loess Plateau in its golden light.