Huayu 1999: Starting with nothing but getting something for nothing

That's how it was. Back then, film crews from all over the country would usually gather in a few apartments or hotels in Beijing to prepare for their productions, not only to collect information on actors but also on behind-the-scenes personnel.

After all, at that time there were no smartphones, no WeChat, no official brokerage websites, and apart from offline connections, the only way to recruit people was through a few film and television production locations.

These locations are all fixed. In addition to the Jiuxian Apartment and Hutu Hotel mentioned by Qin Lan, there are also Shangkangcheng Apartment, Yangguang Hotel, Xingcheng International Apartment, and guesthouses near Beijing Film Academy, Beijing Film Studio, Central Academy of Drama, and Communication University of China.

Just like the General Political Department Guesthouse where Yang Che lived, it had this kind of nature, being located diagonally opposite the Beijing Film Studio.

If Yang Che was staying at a different hotel and called the actors, it could only mean that he was either a scammer or trying to take advantage of them.

To be fair, the unspoken rules in the Chinese entertainment industry in the 90s weren't that outrageous, not even comparable to those in the education sector. It wasn't that the professionals were particularly high-quality; the main issue was the scarcity of opportunities.

With the marketization of cinemas, the diversification of film and television dramas, the influx of Hong Kong and Taiwan production teams, and the influx of capital from all walks of life, it seems that unspoken rules suddenly became the norm.

However, when celebrities set up their own studios and started operating individually, it became more of a consensual on-set couple model, rather than an unspoken rule. After all, celebrities have money and status now, and a new trend has emerged. It's not just the entertainment industry that's promiscuous; the whole society is like this.

......

Yang Che asked curiously, "Did you receive any phone calls?"

Qin Lan said calmly, "Yes, I've received offers from two people. They immediately asked me to audition in a hotel room. Ugh."

Yang Che raised an eyebrow, saying with some disdain, "Only two?"

Qin Lan raised her hand and gently tapped his arm: "Brother Che!!! Because after that, I stopped submitting materials to those groups. Do you think I look bad?"

Qin Lan's voice was very sweet, like she was being coquettish. It made Cheng Er, who was walking in front, feel uncomfortable. He couldn't help but wonder: When did their relationship suddenly progress so rapidly?

Yang Che chuckled and said, "You're definitely not as good-looking now as you were when you were a child, but you'll get more and more handsome."

Qin Lan was both amused and exasperated, her face contorted with constipation: "Then just say I'm ugly."

Yang Che turned to look at her: "It's not that you're ugly, it's just an awkward phase in your appearance. Both men and women go through this stage. Androgens or estrogens cause facial bones such as the jaw and cheekbones to reshape, resulting in a wider, longer, or asymmetrical face. It will be fine once it stabilizes."

Having a boyfriend would not only stabilize hormones but also improve my flat chest. However, with Cheng Er around, I obviously couldn't say such things.

Well, I can't say anything even if I'm not here. If I did, knowing this girl's personality, it would be tantamount to making things clear.

Yang Che wasn't blind; how could he not see the changes in the girl's gaze towards him? From initial curiosity and flattery to admiration and respect, and now to affection.

Not responding is just his scumbag behavior after weighing the pros and cons; he's neither proactive nor rejecting, and he doesn't want to make things complicated.

If it were true love, that would be one thing, but Yang Che knew very well that he only had a slight liking for Qin Lan.

If this girl's motives were simpler, like wanting resources, then a fair trade would be fine and she could have taken the initiative without any consequences. But that's not the case; if she actually took the initiative, it would cause a lot of trouble.

So you just leave it like that, and you're happy as long as a pretty, sweet girl looks at you with admiration every day.

Qin Lan was stunned for a moment, her expression suddenly turned gloomy, and her voice became very low: "I'm already 20, what awkward period is there to speak of?"

She felt that Yang Che's implication was that her face was wide, which was quite true. Her face was very round before she was 15, but it became more and more square after puberty.

Before Yang Che could reply, Qin Lan continued in a low voice, "Brother Che, do you think I should get plastic surgery?"

The fact that Qin Lan could ask him such a very personal question shows that she already considers him a very close person.

A jaw reduction surgery would be perfect.

Of course, Yang Che wouldn't dare to engage in such a conversation. At this moment, he even regretted using her face to explain makeup requirements to Jin Xiaoman. After a moment of contemplation, he said very seriously, "You shouldn't ask me this kind of question, and you shouldn't ask anyone else either."

Qin Lan realized what was happening, and for a moment her heart was filled with mixed feelings, but she also became more clear-headed. After smiling, she said calmly:

"Brother Che, I'm not asking you to make decisions for me. I'm asking you to look at me from the perspective of a producer or painter, because you understand art and the market."

After she finished speaking, Qin Lan winked playfully, as if she were trying to be cute.

Yang Che frowned. He hated this kind of moral blackmail, even if Qin Lan's actions weren't intentional. So his tone was very emotionless: "We're just colleagues. I can't bear this kind of karmic burden."

Qin Lan's smile froze on her face, her eyes flashing with panic and grievance. Then she lowered her head, her expression unreadable, and whispered, "What's wrong? Can I stop asking? Why did we have to bring up cause and effect?"

Yang Che frowned even deeper, and said in a deep voice, completely oblivious to any romantic sentiment, "When I first answered you, you shouldn't have asked again to put pressure on me. It's annoying, you know?"

Cheng Er, who was walking ahead, turned around in surprise upon hearing this and saw that Qin Lan's eyes instantly filled with tears, which then flowed down her face as she stared straight at Yang Che.

"Brother Che, Qin Lan didn't mean it."

Yang Che glanced at Cheng Er, said nothing, and continued walking forward.

As if she had found an outlet, Qin Lan changed from silently shedding tears to sobbing. However, she did not stop walking, feeling so wronged.

The three of them walked in silence for another seven or eight minutes until they entered courtyard number eight. Qin Lan didn't know when she had stopped crying, but she was no longer as talkative as before.

At this moment, there was a truck parked downstairs in Unit 2 of Building 3. Well, the truck restriction policy in Beijing was implemented after the successful bid for the Olympics.

However, the truck bed was already empty; the tables, chairs, benches, and beds had been moved upstairs.

"They're probably assembling it right now."

"It should be."

Yang Che responded and glanced at Qin Lan. The girl noticed his gaze, pursed her lips, forced a smile, and then looked away.

The three of them then entered the building. There was no elevator, but both apartments were on the third floor. One was a three-bedroom apartment on the right, and the other was a two-bedroom apartment in the middle.

The third room was naturally the studio. When I got to the second and a half floor, I heard the sound of an electric drill. It wasn't drilling anything, but tightening screws.

This made Yang Che feel dazed again. He always felt that using an electric drill to tighten screws was something that would happen a long time from now, and that he should be using a screwdriver manually now.

What does this feeling resemble?

It was a day in March or April when I was a child. After school, I found a few peanuts left over from the Lunar New Year in the cupboard. They weren't very fresh, but they tasted delicious. I ate them very slowly and swallowed them very slowly.

It feels like we're still celebrating the Lunar New Year.