I'm really good at this.

Zhang Hong finished her makeup quickly.

Actually, he doesn't need to wear makeup at all.

With his face like that, there's absolutely no difference between wearing makeup and not wearing makeup; at most, it just makes him look more handsome on camera.

After changing into the long beige trench coat specially prepared by the crew and slicking back his messy hair, Zhang Hong stepped out of the makeup cart and approached Liu Yishou, eager to try out his role: "Director, what scenes do I have?"

He's obsessed with that 200,000 yuan right now.

With that 200,000 yuan, I can go home and make a down payment on a house after I finish filming my TV series!

That way, I would finally have a house that is completely my own in this world.

After that, it's time to work hard and strive for success!

If I get a promotion and a raise in the future, I'll let my parents move from their old apartment on the sixth floor to a new one. I'll sell the old apartment, add some money, and buy another one, since my parents are getting old and it's inconvenient for them to go up and down six floors without an elevator.

Zhang Hong is full of expectations for the future!

As for his own film crew... he had long forgotten about them.

It's okay to stop for a day or two!

Moreover, if I just coast along, I might be able to finish filming two episodes today and then take the money and leave!

Two hundred thousand! Two hundred thousand!

The thought of having 200,000 yuan gave Zhang Hong even more motivation.

Liu Yishou was quite pleased to see how much he cared.

This shows that he was moved by his own personal charm (money)!

So he earnestly pulled Zhang Hong aside and began to explain the role in a gentle tone: "You're going to play an underground worker. He was sent by the country to study in America, then the Americans gave him the identity of a Japanese man named Kameda Taro and sent him to Japan as an undercover agent. Finally, Japan sent him to China as an undercover agent. Now he's using the alias Zheng Tu, but you're still a member of the country and are still transmitting intelligence to the country. However, because of these multiple undercover operations, no one knows your true identity."

The part you'll be acting out is when he encounters his first love from his student days in China on the street, who is also the female lead.

He recognized you, but you denied being Fang Bie. Later, the main characters were exposed and captured, and you heroically sacrificed yourself to save them. That's basically the plot.

Zhang Hong: "..."

There are too many flaws, and he really doesn't know how to even begin to criticize them.

He knew that according to the history of this world, Japan had invaded and occupied Shanghai, but was driven back after only three months.

What's the point of going through all this trouble to go undercover?

It feels like even joining the KMT army in 49 in my previous life was better than this.

And the female lead's ex-boyfriend?

He even sacrificed himself to save the female lead?

Are TV dramas these days taking such unconventional approaches?

If someone dared to write something like that in a web novel, the author would be dragged out and whipped every day.

Zhang Hong could vaguely see the green hat on the male lead's head.

He was having a great time chatting with Liu Yishou, while Wang Chen, who had been watching from a distance, felt his teeth ache from the sourness.

"Director Liu never explained the scene to me..."

Yes, although he was the second male lead, Liu Yishou never gave him any individual acting instructions.

Either everyone works together, or another assistant director is responsible for explaining the scene to him.

He's so jealous!

But he couldn't show his bitterness because he was about to have a scene with Zhang Hong.

To be precise, it was a scene between the female lead and Zhang Hong, while Wang Chen, who was supposed to be the second male lead, was just one of the "people" around the female lead in this scene.

"Come on! Lights! Props! Camera! Get everything ready!"

Once everyone was in place, on the stone path of the ancient town, the assistant director, clapperboard in hand, shouted: "Scene 4, Take 1 of 'Bloody Youth'! Action!"

Snapped--!

As the clapperboard closed, filming officially began.

Zhang Hong was confused.

He didn't know where he should stand, and he even forgot his lines.

So a group of people stood there looking at each other in bewilderment.

"stop!"

With a roar, Liu Yishou, his old face flushed with anger, strode over in a huff.

Wang Chen secretly rejoiced: "You're clearly not an actor, yet you're trying to steal our jobs! See! You got scolded now!"

Unexpectedly...

"How did you position your camera?" Liu Yishou walked over and started yelling at the photographer. "Look at how well Xiao Zhang is standing! Behind him is the town, and the sky above the town is half clear and half clouded! The clouds block out the sunlight, casting a perfect shadow on his body and face!"

"After following me for so many years, you've forgotten how to find the right angle and composition?"

The photographer and director of photography were sweating profusely from the scolding, and then hurriedly went to rearrange the camera positions and adjust the angles, trying their best to shoot him as Liu Yishou had instructed.

They practically wanted to shove the camera right in Zhang Hong's face and give him wide shots, medium shots, close-ups, and extreme close-ups!

However, Liu Yishou's hair dryer continued uninterrupted.

He turned his head and glared at the group of people, including the male lead, female lead, second male lead, and second female lead, and shouted: "Don't any of you read the script? Can't you even try to understand the characters' feelings?"

In the script, Fang Bie is a triple agent! A rootless duckweed! An infiltrator in hell! How could he possibly talk to you first? He'll definitely pretend he doesn't know you! You should be the ones talking to him first!

The female lead was so wronged.

The script clearly stated that "Fang Bie" should speak first, and then she would respond...

"What, feeling wronged and resentful?" Liu Yishou continued to scold, "A good actor should know how to learn and improve! If you can only follow the script verbatim, why don't you go back to school and continue your studies? Acting is not suitable for you."

The actors were speechless.

The last actor who dared to change the script and lines without permission was scolded by you and secretly cried for a long time that night.

Liu Yishou ignored them and turned around to perform "Sichuan Opera face-changing" once again.

His old face smiled warmly, like a chrysanthemum, and his tone was as gentle as a spring breeze: "Xiao Zhang, you did a great job. I can't tell at all that this is your first time acting. Keep it up."

Wang Chen: "..."

Others: "..."

Zhang Hong stroked his chin, deep in thought. Could it be that he... truly has the talent to be an actor?

Soon, the scene was reshot.

The meeting took place in the same small town. The female lead, Liu Meng, rushed towards Zhang Hong upon seeing him, but hesitated upon reaching him, asking, "You are... Fang Bie, right?"

Zhang Hong fell silent.

His expression shifted from shock to surprise to bewilderment, and finally to a deathly silence of despair.

Because he saw someone.

Lin Muqing.

The girl with long, straight black hair and long legs stood outside the crowd, looking at him coldly.

Zhang Hong was in despair.

Oh no! The director abandoned his film crew to sneak off to another crew to earn extra money and got caught!

His mind went completely blank; he had completely forgotten what his lines were in the script.

The scene fell into silence.

Just as the assistant director was about to yell "cut," Liu Yishou grabbed him.

He shook his head, his expression serious, his small eyes fixed on the man on the monitor.

He paused for a few seconds, then gestured to an actress in a kimono off-camera.

The actress nodded, took a deep breath, and then walked into the frame with an innocent smile, coming to Zhang Hong's side.

"Kame-kun, is this someone you know?"

Zhang Hong suddenly woke up, but he had already forgotten his lines.

However, he still remembered the general plot development.

So he smiled and said, "I don't know them; they've mistaken me for someone else."

He then turned to look at the female lead, Liu Meng, his brows furrowing slightly, and gave a bitter smile—the kind of smile Ma Gongsheng wore in "Your Lie in April": "Smimasai, Miss, you've probably mistaken me for someone else. I'm from Japan, my name is Kameda Taro, and my Chinese name is... Zheng Tu."

After saying that, he ignored Liu Meng, who was standing frozen in place, and turned to look at the girl in the kimono with tenderness, saying in a gentle tone: "Miss Kazuko, I heard that the cherry blossoms in my hometown are in bloom. I haven't been back to see them for a long time. I wonder if the cherry blossoms in Hokkaido are still as beautiful now."

With that, he and the girl in the kimono walked out of the frame.

"good!!!"

Liu Yishou's face flushed with excitement.

He rushed to Zhang Hong and the others, his voice excited: "As expected, Xiao Zhang! You're a born actor! That expression! That smile! Those eyebrows! That gaze! Absolutely amazing!"

not only that!

A good actor can create a lively atmosphere!

He can draw the actors he's acting with into the story! This is commonly known as "getting into character" and "having presence"!

And now! Zhang Hong, who has never acted before, is able to draw others into the role during his very first filming experience!

Look at how other people are doing!

The kimono-clad girl, Xia Yu, upon hearing his gentle words, her slightly flushed cheeks and the way she lowered her head, avoiding eye contact with him, perfectly captured the longing of a young girl in love!

Liu Meng's frozen expression perfectly captured the stiffness of being struck by reality after seeing her long-lost lover!

Including Wang Chen, who had almost no presence but was forced into the position through connections!

His clenched teeth, contorted expression, clenched fists, and trembling body perfectly conveyed his hatred for the traitors and his jealousy of his beloved!

Zhang Hong is a genius!

"Everyone, let's take a ten-minute break! Then we'll continue with the next game!"

The entire crew cheered.

Moreover, almost everyone looked at Zhang Hong with admiration.

This is the first time!

How many years!

This is the first time Director Liu has nailed a shot in one take!

This has never happened before!

After Liu Yishou finished speaking, he couldn't wait to talk to Zhang Hong about the play.

But Zhang Hong slipped away first and headed towards Lin Muqing.

On set, Liu Meng, who plays the female lead, remained frozen in place.

She didn't even notice when her best friend, Xia Yu, who played the girl in the kimono, walked over.

"Zhang Hong is so handsome!" Xia Yu patted her flushed cheeks, fanning herself to cool down. "When he smiled at me, my mind went completely blank! I thought I was going to get yelled at by the director! Xiao Meng? What's wrong? Still not out of character?"

At this moment, Liu Meng turned around, revealing a pair of reddened eyes.

"It's nothing." She raised her hand to wipe away the tears streaming down her cheek, forcing a smile. "That bitter smile he gave just now broke my heart..."

Xia Yu: "..."

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

Zhang Hong reluctantly walked up to Lin Muqing and gave her a big smile: "What brings you here?"

"It's nothing." Lin Muqing raised her hand to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear, using it to hide her heart being stunned by his handsomeness and her ears turning red.

But she remained outwardly calm: "I never expected that you, a director, would abandon your own crew to make a cameo appearance in someone else's film. You truly are the 'other people's child' who excels at everything, even acting."

Zhang Hong paused for a moment, then smiled wryly and said, "Actually..."

He only did the cameo role for the 200,000 yuan.

But I just couldn't bring myself to say it.

There's really nothing to say about abandoning your own film crew for money.

"You don't need to say anything, I understand." Lin Muqing's clear eyes were full of wisdom. "Liu Yishou is one of the top TV drama directors in the country. You want to use this opportunity to build a good relationship with him so that it will be easier to get him to help us with the TV drama later, right? I know all that."

Zhang Hong was stunned.

"ah???"

PS: This is the first chapter of the new book during the free period, with 3300 words!

Daily request for votes 1/2!

(づ￣ 3￣)づ