Bai Lu got scammed, but I became a superstar through e-commerce.

After the casting meeting, the entire creative team was finalized.

But this is only the beginning.

Only after casting is completed can the production team officially enter the preparation stage.

According to the regulations of the State Administration of Radio and Television, the establishment of a production team must meet the following requirements: the production project has been filed and publicized by the relevant government department, and there must be sufficient funding for filming and a good market expectation.

Qingxiao had already instructed the legal department to prepare the filing materials long ago. The filing number for the key online drama "The Mystic Nine" had already been obtained, and the online filing number would be submitted after the film was completed.

On this day, Qingxiao called the production manager, director Liang Shengquan, and Bai Yicong to his office.

On the table was a "Work Plan for the Preparatory Period of The Mystic Nine," with each item marked with a timeline and the person in charge.

"Casting is finished. Next, we'll proceed in a few steps." Qingxiao turned to the first page. "First step, forming the production team."

The production manager was a veteran who had spent most of his life in Hengdian. His surname was Gu, he was in his early forties, and he spoke with a Jiangzhe accent.

He continued, "Same old rules, get the crew together and sign contracts as soon as possible. The contracts for the director, actors, cinematographer, art director, sound engineer—all the key creative personnel—must be signed within the next few days. Chen Weiting's agency has already sent the contract, and Teacher Bai is coordinating Zhang Yixing's salary and schedule. We need to sign the filming agreement with Hengdian World Studios Management Service Company, confirm hotel accommodations, and obtain temporary and vehicle passes for entry into the various film studios. Also, the personal accident insurance for the crew members needs to be approved as soon as possible."

"The second step is a script reading."

Qingxiao turned to the next page.

"All the lead actors and the directing team sat together and read the entire script from beginning to end. What problems are there with this scene? Is that line reasonable? All problems are resolved during the script reading. Director He once said that script reading is the last chance for the crew to correct mistakes. If you change the script on set, the cost will double."

Liang Shengquan added, "The reading session will be held three days from now. At that time, the actors will be gathered in Hengdian, each with a complete script, and supporting actors will have their own scripts for the scenes they will be performing in. The reading session will be divided into three stages: the first day will be a thorough reading of the entire script, the second day will be a detailed reading of each scene, and the third day will be dedicated to tackling the difficult scenes in the action and emotional scenes."

"The third step is setting the makeup."

Qingxiao turned to the next page.

"The costume fitting for actors is not just about taking a few photos. Each character needs a complete styling plan, from hairstyle and makeup to clothing. Zhang Qishan has at least three outfits: military uniform, overcoat, and civilian clothes, each with a different sidearm, boots, and gloves."

"Zhang Shijie has already produced dozens of sketches. Every button on Zhang Qishan's military uniform is in the style of the Republic of China, and the epaulets on his overcoat are made of copper plate embossing. The female role look of Er Yuehong will require four to five sets of makeup and costumes to be tried, and the way the eyebrows and eyes are drawn will be different."

"Yin Xinyue is the young lady of the New Moon Hotel. Her attire reflects the socialites of the Republic of China era, including both formal banquet looks with long dresses and shawls, as well as casual everyday wear. She is accompanied by a servant and a servant with sticks, and the looks of these two attendants also need to be finalized. The art department needs to produce a complete set of costume design proposals, and each costume must be signed and confirmed by the director and producer."

Director Gu quickly jotted down a few notes in his notebook, then looked up and asked, "President Qing, what about the resource package from iQiyi...?"

"I'm keeping an eye on it. We're communicating about the homepage banner, search suggestions, and the recommended spots on the VIP early access channel. The weekly drama series on Dragon TV will be launched simultaneously, creating a synergy between the TV and the online platform. This is the highest level of promotional support we've seen from the platform this year."

Qingxiao put down his pen and glanced around at everyone present.

"Establishing the team, holding readings, setting costumes, and designing locations—laying a solid foundation during the pre-production phase is essential to controlling the 100-day filming schedule. 'The Mystic Nine' has no shortage of money or manpower; what it lacks is meticulous attention to every detail in the pre-production stage. Everyone, let's get to it."

"Whether Tianmen Film and Television's first web series will be a resounding success or a laughing stock is up to the teachers here."

Two days later, the production team for "The Mystic Nine" was officially established.

Producer Qing Xiao oversaw the entire production, while executive producer Bai Yicong negotiated revenue-sharing agreements with iQiyi and several co-producers. Supervisor Nanpai Sanshu was responsible for ensuring the fidelity to the original work, and directors Liang Shengquan, He Shuping, and Huang Junwen co-directed the series.

Liang Shengquan was in charge of the romantic storyline between Zhang Qishan and Yin Xinyue, He Shuping was in charge of the tragic love story between Er Yuehong and Ya Tou, and Huang Junwen was in charge of the action scenes and special effects in the mine and ancient tomb.

Zhang Shijie has been appointed as the costume designer, and Zhong Zhipeng as the art director. The casting team has already completed the signing of contracts for all the main actors.

As per Qingxiao's requirements, the total production budget was 1.68 million, with 70% allocated to production to make it an industry benchmark.

During the preparation period, all production processes were carried out in accordance with the standardized procedures.

As an investor and producer, Qingxiao is responsible for overseeing artistic quality, production progress, and the flow of funds, as well as coordinating the work between various key creative departments.

All departments are also simultaneously carrying out preparations—the directing team is polishing the script and creating storyboards, while the photography and lighting departments are scouting locations with the director and designing shooting plans and lighting methods.

The art department, led by Zhong Zhipeng, scouted locations in Hengdian, designed character models, and built sets.

The sound recording department designed the sound effects for the entire series and simultaneously assessed the recording conditions with the main creative team.

The production department scouts locations, develops shooting plans, arranges logistical support such as transportation and accommodation, and prepares various documents and materials.

A few days later, the assistant director took Chen Wei, Wei Ting, and Zhang Yixing to try on their costumes.

When Zhang Qishan appeared in his first military uniform, the dressing room fell silent for a moment.

Zhang Shijie personally adjusted his epaulets, took two steps back, looked at this "Zhang the Great Buddha" in the mirror, and said with great excitement, "Okay."

Zhang Yixing tried on several female role costumes before finally settling on one, complete with foundation, rouge, and a delicately drawn arc around his eyebrows and eyes.

He stared at himself in the mirror for a moment, stunned.

Liang Shengquan stood behind him and patted him on the shoulder: "Er Yuehong, you are now the most famous Huagu Opera star in Changsha. When you are performing on stage, all the men look up at you. But when you are looking at the girl in the audience, you only have eyes for her."

The reading session begins.

All the lead actors and the directing team sat together and read the script through from beginning to end.

When reading the scene where Zhang Qishan is drinking alone late at night and cleaning his sidearm, Liang Shengquan called for a stop: "The line 'This gun has been with me for many years and has never had an accident' is spoken too quickly. Don't raise your voice at the end, keep it down."

William Chan tried to lower the pitch of his voice, making it sound like he was talking to himself.

Liang Shengquan nodded slightly: "That's right."

When reading the scene where Er Yuehong kneels before Zhang Qishan begging for the Thousand-Year Herb, Zhang Yixing's voice suddenly changed tone.

His delivery of lines wasn't particularly strong, and after many revisions, the moment the line "I'm not kneeling before you" finally rolled out from deep in his throat, He Shuping slammed the script on the table: "That's better!"

Bai Lu sat next to William Chan, flipping through a page filled with notes on the scene where Yin Xinyue made her entrance.

She meticulously captured Yin Xinyue's blend of coquettishness and sharpness. When reading the scene where Zhang Qishan first entered the Xinyue Hotel and Yin Xinyue looked down from the second floor, she noticed that the way she looked at Chen Weiting required thought.

That evening, the film crew's dinner was arranged at the staff canteen next to the New Moon Hotel set.

Zhang Yixing and Bai Lu carried their plates to a table and started talking about the scene they had just witnessed.

Zhang Yixing said he felt that the way Er Yuehong looked at Ya Tou was very similar to the way Yin Xinyue looked at Zhang Qishan.

They're the kind of people who know the person in front of them can handle it, but still feel sorry for them because they've carried so much.

Bai Lu stuck his chopsticks into his rice, thought for a moment, and said, "That's right, but your character Er Yuehong is more devoted, with a sense of fated entanglement. We'll exchange ideas more later, after all, they are all professional teachers, and we'll feel the pressure."

Zhang Yixing nodded: "Teacher Bai Lu, that's exactly what I meant. Actually, I'm extremely nervous."

On the night the reading session ended, Qingxiao sat alone in his office organizing the meeting minutes from the past few days.

There was a light knock on the door. Bai Lu walked in with a cup of hot tea, placed the cup beside him, and sat down in the chair opposite his table.

"What's wrong?" Qingxiao looked up.

Bai Lu smiled and said, "I, Bai Mengyan, can't believe I can act with so many big-name stars one day. Hehe, my dream has come true."

Qingxiao touched Bai Lu's nose and said with some affection, "Trust me, after you finish this, you, Bai Mengyan, will be the star Bai Lu."