How did I become famous?

It's the same scene at the record store, with the same two people.

This time, however, it was the real director, Fang Bie, who called "Action."

"Action!"

"This stereo is a standard Hong Kong product..." Yoshikage Kira repeated his lines.

Then he turned to look at Chen Yongren, his eyes calm: "Just like that record store back then."

"Seriously, Kira? You're charging such a high price for a sound system? Are you ripping off loyal customers?" Chen Yongren's eyes gleamed with a roguish smile. "I'd rather go to the movies; at least I can afford the tickets. By the way, when did you come back and open this shop?"

Standing next to Fang Bie, Liu Mang was stunned. Was he... rewriting the lyrics?

But... it does look much more natural now, let's see how it goes.

Liu Mang felt a vague unease.

Yoshikage Kira was momentarily stunned, but being a professional actor, he smoothly continued acting out that moment of daze.

"It's been over ten years, hasn't it? I came back not long after graduating from high school. What have you been doing all these years?"

Chen Yongren smiled, then took out a cigarette and looked at Kira Yoshikage with a questioning look.

Yoshikage Kira shook his head, then looked around the shop, and finally folded a small cardboard box for him to use as an ashtray.

Chen Yongren then lit a cigarette, squinted, and took a puff.

Liu Mang was completely stunned.

This scene has no dialogue; it's purely a dialogue between two people.

Moreover, the two of them didn't follow the script for this scene.

But... Liu Mang felt a chill run down his spine!

Because he had read the script, he knew what the two people were thinking at this moment.

Their inner thoughts were expressed through their eyes.

Chen Yongren suspects that Kira Yoshikage is the murderer, and he came here to test him.

Yoshikage Kira knew that Kira suspected him, but that was precisely his purpose.

Liu Mang has actually seen many good actors, but the strength of these two lies in the fact that they not only express what he wants with their eyes, but also do so in an extremely natural way, as if they were Kira and Chen Qing themselves!

These two... are really into their roles!

He suddenly turned to look at Fang Bie, who simply smiled and raised his index finger to his lips.

The show is still going on.

After Chen Yongren confirmed that Kira Yoshikage was the murderer, he stubbed out his cigarette, and the smile in his eyes disappeared, but only for a moment before it reappeared.

However, unlike his previous roguish and decadent demeanor, he was now like a sharp sword drawn from its sheath.

He has found his goal.

"Card!"

Fang clapped his hands: "That's a good take, everyone take a ten-minute break."

Although it was supposed to be a break, the photography and lighting crews were still busy.

They are filming a light double.

What is a light substitute?

This is a type of body double.

Actually, everyone is very busy, and the entire crew can't possibly coordinate with the cameraman and lighting crew to find the right angle again and again.

Therefore, a stand-in is needed to replace the actor and work with the cameraman and lighting crew to find the correct shooting angle.

A body double doesn't need acting skills or to look like the actor; as long as their height and build are similar, they're good to go.

His task was to quickly go through the sequence of scenes according to the actors' roles in the next scene.

Of course, these were not things that Fang Bie and the others cared about.

All Fang Bie could do was offer them salaries that were significantly higher than the industry average.

Now, Fang Bie is concerned with something else.

"Director Fang, Director Liu." Chen Yongren and another person approached, his expression somewhat uneasy. "Was my acting alright?"

Fang Bie nodded: "Of course! I told you, you're my handpicked lead actor, so be confident! Believe in yourself, you'll be fine."

He waved his hand: "Alright, let's rest first. There are still several scenes to film."

Chen Yongren quickly thanked him and hurried off to discuss the script with Kira Yoshikage.

Liu Mang stared at Chen Yongren the whole time, as if he had discovered some new continent.

"Snap out of it." Fang Bie slapped him on the broad back. "How was that?"

Liu Mang nodded: "I must say, when it comes to choosing actors, I, Liu Mang, would call you the best."

He truly admired Fang Bie.

Two movies in a row! He's actually managed to turn "amateurs" who had never acted before, or even acted at all, into veteran actors.

No! This is not nurturing!

He only said a few words!

Yan Shuangying in the previous film was like this, and Chen Yongren in this film is the same!

"They were just naturally good; I was just letting them play their natural roles." Fang Bie thought it was nothing to brag about. "Also, don't say such childish things. You're a fat old man in your thirties...it's disgusting."

With Yan Shuangying playing "Yan Shuangying" and Chen Yongren playing "Chen Yongren", how could they possibly not perform well?

Liu Mang ignored his words: "The fact that you were able to find these people shows that you have good judgment."

He was truly convinced.

How come this guy is good at everything and strong in everything?

He surpasses himself in songwriting, movie making, and even casting!

Not to mention matters of the heart.

I'm still a bachelor, while this guy has a super-rich heiress who's got her eye on him...

Liu Mang began to smell of lemon.

"Flattery won't work." Fang Bie winked. "Have you heard the idiom? 'A bet is a bet'."

Liu Mang swallowed hard and said awkwardly, "All I know is that gambling is illegal."

His chubby face was filled with righteous indignation: "Old Fang, I think we should boycott this kind of behavior."

Damn it! He doesn't want to kiss that bastard Wu Kai!

"This isn't very interesting, Fatty," Fang Bie said with a bored expression. "That's why you shouldn't make big promises. You didn't even consider the consequences before taking such a huge gamble. What, you look down on my previous judgment?"

Ok?

Fang Bie suddenly thought of something.

This phrase seems like it could also be said to oneself?

I can't make big promises... so I can't mess this up!

Liu Mang replied, "It's not impossible, but you have to promise me one thing."

Fang Bie's gaze turned strange.

Liu Mang said irritably, "What kind of look is that? I mean, could you please..."

He sighed and lowered his voice: "Don't leave after this movie is finished?"

"!!!"

Fang Bie's eyes widened: "You...know what?"

"You've made it so obvious, everyone knows." Liu Mang lit a cigarette. "After this movie is finished, you're going to go to Hollywood, right?"

"?_?"

This is Fang Bie's expression.

"Who told you I was going to Hollywood?"

"That's what the young lady said." Liu Mang shrugged. "She spends every day with you, what can't she tell? She said she felt you were a bit distracted, and thinking about your experience at the Oscars last time, she thinks you might be planning to leave for Hollywood after filming this movie."

Fang twitched his lips but didn't say anything.

Is the young lady perceptive or oblivious?

She could tell that she was planning to leave, but she thought she was going to Hollywood.

Why would I go to Hollywood? That place is full of righteousness and correctness. Someone as red and expert as me can't possibly go there and smear the motherland against my conscience.

Besides, I don't have much skill. I'm already doing well enough to barely fool the people in China. How am I supposed to fool them in Hollywood?

Why not just stay home and lie down to earn over 700,000 yuan a month?

"I'm not going back to Hollywood."

"So you really do plan to leave?" Liu Mang took a deep drag on his cigarette, then flicked the ash. "I don't know what you're thinking, but I think... it's better if you stay."

"We'll see," Fang said listlessly.

He was actually a little reluctant to part ways with this group of people.

But what else can we do if we don't leave?

With my skill level, how could I possibly stay here?

There will always be a day when I'm exposed.

"Okay, give me a straight answer." Liu Mang took out his phone. "If you don't leave, I'll call that bastard Wu Kai right now. A bet's a bet."

Fang didn't say anything.

He was actually a little touched.

After all, Liu Mang was willing to lose face in order to keep me here.

But I really don't have the skills, what can I do?

Can a movie just happen to take off once by sheer luck, and then take off a second time?

Even if it happens a second time, what about a third time?

Seeing that he didn't react, Liu Mang hurriedly dialed the phone: "If you don't say anything, I'll take that as a yes!"

............

On the other side, Wu Kai, exhausted from attending the press conference for the start of filming of his new movie, returned to the company and collapsed onto the boss's chair.

Many reporters came, and the questions they asked were increasingly tricky.

The discussions mainly revolve around whether his return to making art films is a sign of retreat, and whether he actually hired the online trolls to criticize "Captain China."

Just then, the phone rang.

Wu Kai took out his phone, and the caller ID showed "Migrant Fool".

He paused for a moment, then thought of tossing the phone aside.

After hesitating for a moment, he answered the phone, then immediately switched to a sarcastic tone: "What, your panda eyes are all swollen now, and you want to get beaten up again?"

"Ha! You've healed the arm I dislocated?"

"You're still better than me! All you do is suck up to others, don't you feel ashamed? Weren't you so arrogant back then?"

"Heh heh, I'm the executive director of Fang Bie's new movie. I'll beat you to a pulp this time. Oh, I forgot, your company only invested 30 million in you—our movie has an investment of over 100 million! You're doomed!"

Wu Kai sneered, "You're making art films instead of commercial ones? And with such a huge investment? Let's see how you die!"

He paused, took a breath, and casually said, "Director Xu Kuangfu has also started filming a big-budget art film. I'd like to see how you get crushed."

Liu Mang was taken aback. Xu Kuangfu? That old guy who was so sarcastic during the Oscars live stream?

Is he targeting Fang Bie?

Wu Kai...why are you telling me this?

Shaking his head, Liu Mang stopped thinking about it and said, "How about we make a bet?"

"Heh, tell me about it."

"Our new movie will be judged on awards and box office performance. If you win one, I'll kneel down and call you 'Dad'."

"That's good. So, how do we determine if you win?"

"We can crush you both."

"What's the stake?"

"You'll see when the time comes."

He simply couldn't bring himself to say something like, "Let me kiss you."

"It's a deal!"

Wu Kai hung up the phone and clenched his fist.

He understood what Liu Mang meant: if he lost in the art film he was most confident in, he would go and let Liu Mang humiliate him properly.

Just as I had humiliated him in the past.

He raised his head, his gaze resolute.

Therefore... I can't lose!

P.S.: Some friends said the previous chapter was short and weak, so this chapter will be 3100 words.