This director loves making friends.

"Let's be friends" is Qin Keqing's playful nickname for Golden Finger.

This is his biggest trump card.

The so-called "making friends" simply means using enough points to forcibly "become friends" with someone.

Don't get the wrong idea, this "making friends" doesn't mean forcibly linking friends to romantic relationships.

This is a legitimate "friendship" system, the kind where you actually make friends, not some kind of pimping system.

Of course, the number of friends you make will vary depending on the points you spend.

In short, the system categorizes friends into six types from low to high: casual acquaintances, drinking buddies, sworn brothers, friends based on mutual benefit, spiritual friends, and lifelong friends.

It looks a bit complicated, but it's actually not simple at all.

There was nothing else to it; it was all thanks to Qin Keqing's gradual exploration.

He only has a basic understanding of casual acquaintances; everything else is completely unknown to him, and he can only grasp the literal meaning of the words.

A casual acquaintance, literally speaking, means someone with whom you don't have a deep relationship; they are merely acquaintances for occasional occasions.

Don't expect to be of much help with this kind of relationship. If you like the look of someone, offering a helping hand is the limit.

"Friends who are only friends for drinking and having fun" refers to those who are just fair-weather friends, whose relationship is based on eating, drinking and having fun, and has a weak emotional foundation.

This kind of relationship might be of some help, and in certain situations, it might even play a significant role.

The next step, the "sworn brotherhood," as the name suggests, likely refers to true buddies and best friends.

Ironically, even these sworn brotherhoods, which involve formally swearing oaths of brotherhood, are not as deep as relationships based on mutual benefit...

Well, that's just how reality is; when interests are intertwined, things are often more secure.

Above that is spiritual friendship. In Qin Keqing's mind, spiritual friendship might be a kind of close confidant.

Chinese people still value close friends highly.

In ancient times, there was the close friendship between Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya, the profound friendship between Yu Boya and Zhong Ziqi, the entrustment of manuscripts between Liu Yuxi and Liu Zongyuan, and the life-and-death bond between Zuo Botao and Yang Jiao'ai...

Lu Xun once said, "To have one true friend in life is enough; the world should treat such a person as a kindred spirit."

This kind of spiritual connection is probably extremely rare, perhaps reaching a point where one doesn't consider gains or losses.

As for the last close friends who died for each other... they're all dead now, so there's not much more to say.

Different points can be forcibly linked to different friends.

Unfortunately, Qin Keqing only knows that the lowest level of casual acquaintance requires 10 points, and the next level of drinking buddies requires 30 points. He doesn't know anything about the others.

Perhaps one needs to have friends for drinking and eating before one can "unlock" a true sworn brotherhood.

Points don't appear out of thin air. The only way Qin Keqing knows to earn points is by acting or becoming a crew member.

Through continuous practice, Qin Keqing discovered that in acting, whether he was an extra or played an important role, the points he received were the same. This is why he was unwilling to spend too much time playing a role with more screen time.

However, those who become crew members actually receive the same points as extras.

It's like playing a role with a lot of screen time; it's not worth it. Extras are the future, and being an extra is the fastest way to earn points.

Sigh, it's all the system's fault for being so stingy. I only get a pitiful 1 point for each time I act as an extra!

That's right, it's just 1 point!

In other words, based on the system information Qin Keqing currently understands, he would need to act as an extra in 10 movies to earn enough points for a mere casual acquaintance.

However, if you have enough points, could you become a "confidant" of the infamous "Mountain Eagle"?

This is also why Qin Keqing felt that he would eventually make it big.

Even if he doesn't dominate the film and television industry, Qin Keqing will at least be able to enjoy his work there.

Qin Keqing had an even deeper thought.

Although thinking this way is a bit unambitious, as long as he becomes a high-level friend of a big shot like "Zuo Shandiao", then with that relationship, Qin Keqing can become an extra in any movie in China if he wants.

Points will just come pouring in, won't they?

No, no, no, by then who would dare say that Qin Keqing was just an extra?

That was a cameo, a special performance, you understand?

Haha ...

A casual acquaintance only requires 10 points, and a fair-weather friend only requires 30 points. These two levels of "friends" may seem useless, but there are no useless relationships, only relationships that are not used properly.

Qin Keqing did figure out some uses for it.

For example, at some important gatherings or other large occasions, you can get to know some important people "naturally" with a "small" cost of 10 or 30 points, which might play a big role at a crucial moment.

Qin Keqing looked at the system. One point for "The Flower Sisters' Romantic Debt" had been credited to his account. With this point, he had accumulated 30 points, and had 20 points available.

The reason he only has 20 points available is because he has already used 10 points.

It was kind of an experiment; he used 10 points to try and become casual friends with a director.

These 30 points represent almost a year's worth of earnings for him in the capital.

Don't think it's too little.

Although Beijing had the Beijing Film Studio and the Qingdao Film Studio, there were also the August First Film Studio and the Children's Film Studio, which did not use many extras. In total, they accounted for a quarter of the 16 state-owned film studios in the 1990s.

However, all of these film studios have been reducing production in recent years, or rather, film studios across the country have been reducing production.

The main reason is that the higher authorities have decided to abolish the "centralized purchase and sales" system, which was officially implemented in 93, allowing film studios to be responsible for their own profits and losses and face the market directly.

Therefore, the government has consciously controlled the funds invested in film studios, which is why there haven't been many films produced in the past two years.

It's worth noting that last year, all the film studios in mainland China combined produced only 130 films, which is less than the number of films produced in Hong Kong alone.

These film studios in mainland China are scattered all over the country. Qin Keqing can't possibly travel all over the country to act as an extra, can he? He simply can't be in two places at once.

Moreover, in those days, not only was transportation inconvenient and society unsafe, but there were also limitations in other aspects.

These 30 points include points earned from movies filmed in Beijing by people from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Just as Qin Keqing was about to hide the system, it suddenly flashed and his points became 33, with 23 points available.

In other words, 3 points were gained for nothing.

Strange, weren't the points for "The Flower Sisters' Romantic Debt" already settled? Besides, it's impossible to give 3 points, right?

However, although the system does not have an instruction manual, the source of the points can be traced.

Qin Keqing clicked on the latest points with some curiosity. After the +3 points, it said that "The Story of Qiu Ju" was shortlisted for the main competition of the 49th Venice International Film Festival, and was awarded 3 points...

what?

Can this be done?

You get 3 points for being nominated for an award?

At this moment, Qin Keqing's eyes lit up. A nomination for an award is worth 3 points. What if she wins? Wouldn't it be even more?

The Venice Film Festival awards award points, but what about other film festivals?

There are so many film awards in the world, especially some of those dubious awards that will give out prizes for a little "sponsorship fee"...

Do these prizes also award points?

Regardless, the three points awarded for a nomination in the main competition at the Venice Film Festival at least gave Qin Keqing another way to earn points.

As for "The Story of Qiu Ju," Qin Keqing is very familiar with it.

"The Story of Qiu Ju" is the only movie that Qin Keqing has "earned" two points for so far. He was both a staff member of the movie and had a minor role in it, earning a total of 2 points.

I really didn't expect to have 3 more points now.

It seems that those 10 points weren't wasted after all.