Yesterday, Dad had used short dramas as a cover to trick people into being inflatable doll models, taking all sorts of provocative photos.
There were too many people using bait-and-switch tactics these days.
Given Chu Xiaomeng’s personality, it was very likely she would encounter a similar situation.
Gu Chen didn’t want to see her photo pop up in some other inflatable doll online shop one day….
“Yeah, what’s wrong?”
Chu Xiaomeng nodded ditzily, wondering why Gu Chen’s reaction was so strong.
“What do you mean, ‘what’s wrong’?”
“The reason you aren’t going back is that you want to use these few days to apply as a short drama actor? People use so many schemes now. What if it’s a scam?”
No matter what, Gu Chen had to give her a safety warning.
With her dad’s previous actions as a cautionary tale, she questioned the authenticity of such things.
“It won’t be like that. This was introduced to me by a neighbor from my hometown. She’s a short drama actress and has connections. Whenever there was a chance in the past, she’d take me along to play minor roles for some money or introduce me to nearby crews. She’s a very good person.”
Chu Xiaomeng explained that it was a recommendation from someone she knew and that this wasn’t her first time on a set, so she had some experience.
“Really?”
Hearing that dispelled much of Gu Chen’s doubt.
Since it was a reliable person, they probably weren’t scammers.
Otherwise, since they lived so close, the person would be criticized by everyone back home unless they planned to never go back.
“Mhm, it’s true. Look, I’m even in the group chat. The assistant director is in there too.”
Chu Xiaomeng showed her the recruitment group.
The film crew was currently setting up at Chayi Mountain.
The preparation work was almost complete, and they were just waiting for the actors to be finalized.
“I see…”
Gu Chen knew about that place.
It used to be a university campus, but it had been abandoned after the school relocated.
Since it was on a mountain, the land was hard to sell, so it was left idle.
With the rise of the short drama industry, low-budget productions had become mainstream.
They began renting the place to those film crews at a low price.
It was a way to make some extra money, and for projects like campus-themed dramas, the setting was already there, which saved a lot of money.
“So, they’re recruiting actors there now? What are the rates?”
If it was true, Gu Chen was actually interested.
It wasn’t for herself, but for Wang Meng.
Wang Meng’s current situation was terrible, and she needed to earn money for living expenses.
She had mentioned yesterday that she was very interested in acting.
If there really was a film crew nearby, it would be worth a shot.
On one hand, she could earn some money, and on the other, she could learn about acting. It was a perfect fit!
“Extras get 120 per day, featured extras get 500, roles with names get 1,000, supporting roles get 5,000, and the lead gets 10,000.”
Chu Xiaomeng really did know her way around this industry; she even knew the prices clearly.
“Wow, that’s not bad.”
Short dramas usually took seven days to half a month to film.
If one managed to land a lead role, the income would be quite shocking.
With Wang Meng’s looks, being an extra would be a waste.
She could at least aim for a featured extra role.
If she really had talent, getting a named role or even a supporting role was possible!
Thinking of this, Gu Chen immediately asked, “Xiaomeng, are they still recruiting actors over there?”
“Huh? You want to act in a short drama?”
Chu Xiaomeng blinked.
“Not me. It’s for a classmate. She also wants to try acting. How about this? I’ll drive you both there later,” Gu Chen explained.
“Who is it?”
“She’s in our class. Her name is Wang Meng, and she’s staying at the hostel.”
Since things happened to be so convenient, Gu Chen didn’t feel right letting Chu Xiaomeng handle it alone, so she decided to tag along.
She had never been to a film set before and wanted to see what it was like.
“….”
“Okay, no problem.”
Chu Xiaomeng was stunned to learn the other person was also staying at the hostel.
‘Is she introducing a job to her girlfriend?’
She couldn’t help but feel a bit sad, but she had no reason to refuse.
By then, the shop owner had packed a serving of braised pork trotter rice, and the two headed straight back.
*Knock, knock, knock—*
Wang Meng opened the door quickly.
“Why are you back?”
“It’s nothing. I brought you some lunch. Eat up, and then we’ll head out together. There’s a film crew nearby recruiting actors; you should go and give it a try.”
Gu Chen handed over the meal box and shared the news.
“Really?”
Wang Meng was already moved just seeing the food.
Hearing that Gu Chen had even scouted out a film crew to introduce her to, she didn’t know what to say for a moment.
‘Is she Big Brother’s girlfriend? She’s so pretty.’
Chu Xiaomeng looked at Wang Meng, feeling a bit inferior.
Her heart was a swirl of conflicting emotions.
“And this is?”
Wang Meng noticed the person next to Gu Chen and couldn’t help but ask.
“This is Chu Xiaomeng, a High School Freshman. She’s also going there for an interview. It’s perfect, I’ll take you both over to check it out in a bit,” Gu Chen officially introduced them.
“Hello, Senior.”
“Mhm, hello.”
The two greeted each other, establishing an acquaintance.
They looked at each other with complicated gazes, both preoccupied with their own thoughts.
After eating, Wang Meng left her brother’s room card at the front desk, instructing them to give it to him when he arrived since she didn’t have time to wait.
The scooter was parked right outside the hostel.
Gu Chen pushed it to the entrance and hopped on.
Luckily, the battery had fully charged while they were out.
The electric scooter Li Yanqiu had given her was high-powered and could travel over 100 kilometers; otherwise, they would have had to wait for it to charge.
“Let’s go. What are you two standing there for?”
Turning around, she saw Wang Meng and Chu Xiaomeng both standing still, neither of them making a move.
“Senior, you should get on first,” Chu Xiaomeng said after a pause.
Since the two were boyfriend and girlfriend, she felt she couldn’t overstep and had to be cautious.
“It’s okay, you go first.”
Wang Meng’s thoughts were similar.
She knew Chu Xiaomeng also lived at the hostel and seemed to have an appointment with Gu Chen early on.
‘Are these two a couple?’
She wondered.
So, she also wanted to avoid any misunderstanding….
“What’s going on?”
Gu Chen, naturally unaware of the chaotic thoughts in their heads, was completely confused.
‘Are they looking down on my scooter?’
Besides, there was just enough room for the three of them.
There was no need to waste money on a taxi.
Chayi Mountain didn’t even have a bus stop; it was extremely remote.
Left with no choice, she looked at Chu Xiaomeng.
“Get on first. Don’t waste time.”
Interview time was limited, and she had no idea why they were hesitating.
Logically speaking, it was impossible for them to suddenly feel awkward about her being a guy and worry about physical boundaries, right?
“Me?”
“Hurry up!”
Gu Chen couldn’t take it anymore and directly pulled her over to sit down.
‘What is Big Brother doing? Right in front of her girlfriend…. Isn’t she afraid she’ll be angry?’
Chu Xiaomeng’s mind instantly became a mess.
Then, Wang Meng showed an “as expected” expression before squeezing onto the back, thinking about whether she should explain things later.
***
Chayi Mountain was quite a distance from the school.
Fortunately, the area was remote with few vehicles, so the trip was smooth.
At around 2:00 PM, they finally arrived at the film set.
There were quite a few vehicles parked in front of the abandoned campus—likely belonging to the crew—and a crowd had already gathered.
A quick glance suggested there were nearly 100 people.
The crew only needed about thirty people in total, so the competition seemed quite fierce.