"Why does this name sound so strange?"
"In any case, trust me, Brother Dajin. If things go smoothly, I should receive news about joining the crew within the next two days. I might not have much time to handle this matter, so you just need to contact the novel's author on Douban. I remember the name is 'Lihua'." Chen Ming explained once more.
"Fine, leave this to me. If you’re short on cash, I can cover the expenses for you first! Do you happen to know anything about the production?" Brother Dajin inquired.
Chen Ming thought for a moment, and to give him some confidence, said, "Brother Dajin, this film doesn't just feature Zhou Xun."
"Then who else is in it?"
"Jet Li."
"Damn, brother, go ahead and fly high—your Brother Dajin has your back for everything else!"
Things went exactly as Chen Ming had anticipated. About four or five days later, he received a call telling him to go to Beijing to sign the contract. Chen Ming had been packed and ready for some time.
Beijing was not unfamiliar to him; after all, he had spent three years studying here. However, many of his former classmates had already entered the industry and were doing quite well for themselves, like Yang Mi. They were far ahead of him—someone who had dipped a foot into the industry only to be ruthlessly kicked back out.
The audition was held in an office building on the Fourth Ring Road. Chen Ming brought his portfolio as requested and met Jacob Cheung in person. Perhaps because he truly appreciated his performance, or perhaps out of respect for the production, he made the final decision after watching Chen Ming perform just once.
The process moved quickly, and the pay was a solid 300,000. He had originally assumed that since he wasn't famous, he would be paid the standard rate for a supporting role—maybe ten thousand per scene—and he would have been happy to walk away with a hundred thousand or so. He hadn't expected it to be this much.
It’s damn good money.
This was a feeling Chen Ming had never experienced before his rebirth. Unable to suppress his excitement after a few days, he couldn't help but send a simple text message to his mother: "Love you, Mom."
His mother, terrified, immediately called back to ask if something had gone wrong, and kept reassuring Chen Ming that he was still young and would have plenty of opportunities in the future. Chen Ming didn't rush to tell her about the salary; he decided to wait until the money was actually in his hands.
The day after signing the contract, he was told to join the crew at the Tianmo Film and Television Base in Huailai, Hebei. It was a shooting location that boasted desert, Gobi, lake, and beacon tower landscapes—the kind of frontier scenery where both *The Romance of the Three Kingdoms* and *Journey to the West* had been filmed.
On his second day there, Jacob Cheung called Chen Ming over for a costume fitting. He had no idea what the directing team was thinking, but they proceeded to coat his face in white powder until it looked like it had been dusted with flour.
"Tsk, still a bit too handsome." Jacob Cheung remarked while looking at Chen Ming’s appearance. The makeup artist on the side shrugged helplessly and said, "Director Cheung, I think this is actually good enough. If we make him any uglier, we can only lighten his eyebrows, but that might make the audience lose immersion."
"Change into the python robe and let me see."
Chen Ming’s costumes were primarily silver-white python robes for lounging and formal court attire. The young lady from the props department who helped him change brought over the intricately crafted costume. "Teacher Chen, let me help you put it on."
"No, no need—" Before Chen Ming could wave her off, a middle-aged woman from the costume department took the garment directly and said, "I'll do it, you go get busy."
With that, ignoring the resentful look from the young props assistant, she walked right up to Chen Ming and began peeling off his clothes. *Sister, I’m wearing a short-sleeved shirt, you don’t have to take it off, do you?*
The young lady who had looked so resentful moments ago didn't leave either; she stood at the doorway, watching Chen Ming with eyes glowing with interest. *Tsk, he’s actually got a great physique. Why does he have abs? I really want to go swimming on those abs.*
"Uh... Teacher, are you very hot?" Chen Ming asked, looking at the woman from the costume department, who was half a head shorter than him and blushing deeply. It wasn't that he was trying to make small talk; it was just that after the lady took off his shirt, she spent a full five minutes buttoning his robe, her fingers intentionally or unintentionally brushing against his abs. He felt like he was being taken advantage of, but he didn't dare offend the people in charge of costumes and props.
"Ah! No, no, Teacher Chen, this outfit is so stiff, there are six of them... no, no, I don't know who made these buttons, they're so hard to fasten."
Ten minutes later, dressed and wearing the official cap, Chen Ming walked out of the fitting room looking helpless. As soon as he saw Jacob Cheung, his aura shifted. He had more or less figured out how to use the system—as long as he centered himself, he could immediately get into character. Of course, for now, it was limited to the role of a eunuch.
Chen Ming stood in place, pinched a delicate finger gesture, supported the jade belt at his waist with one hand, turned slightly, and cast a sidelong, disdainful glance at Jacob Cheung and the others. The girls from the props department had also circled around behind the director at some point.
"Hmm... your conditions are indeed quite good. Fine, go take some photos later, let’s settle on this." Jacob Cheung rubbed his chin as he spoke, then turned to look at the female staff members gathered behind him, smiling knowingly. "Xiao Chen, spin around a few times, strike a few handsome poses, and let these little hooligans see!"
The women behind Jacob Cheung started cheering. *A bunch of female hooligans! Can this production even turn out well? The domestic entertainment industry is doomed!*
Filming in the summer here could be quite grueling. Chen Ming wasn't like the big stars who could dive into their air-conditioned, beverage-stocked trailers during breaks. Fortunately, the crew’s accommodation was decent—the Huailai International Hotel. Calling it an international hotel was a stretch; it was just a standard three-star hotel, but at least he could get some good rest.
Over the next few days, Chen Ming saw many of the star actors arriving: Jet Li, Zhou Xun, Gwei Lun-mei, Fan Xiaoxuan—and, oh right, the "Evil Sword Immortal" and Brother Chun! Chen Ming didn't understand why the director had cast Brother Chun, but he respected the decision.
There was a lot of preparation work before the cameras started rolling. The costume fitting was just the beginning; there was also the script reading session. The reading wasn't just for actors and the director; screenwriters and heads of every department attended as well. The actors would simulate scene after scene, and then everyone would raise questions from their respective departments to refine the work together.
The first meeting for all the actors took place during that reading. Everyone gathered in the hotel conference room, with actors sitting around a round table. The director and leads sat at the head, while supporting actors like Chen Ming were allowed at the table, but seated toward the end.
Jet Li greeted everyone with a friendly smile, while Zhou Xun remained her usual self—flat-chested, soft-spoken, and aloof. For some reason, she always gave off a sense of deep exhaustion and complexity. As for Brother Chun... Chen Ming felt he wasn't qualified to comment.
Once they finished their greetings, it was time for the supporting actors like Chen Ming to go up and pay their respects.
"Teacher Li, hello, hello! I really like you! It’s a great honor to learn from you."
"A spirited young man, keep working hard."
"Brother... er, Sister Chun, hello, hello. Please take care of me." Chen Ming almost slipped up, but managed to catch himself just in time. Li Yuchun seemed a bit unaccustomed to these formalities, but she stood up and shook Chen Ming's hand.
"Okay, let's take care of each other." She was actually quite straightforward in her speech.
After making the rounds, Chen Ming knew he eventually had to face that woman.
"Teacher Zhou... if there’s anything lacking, please feel free to criticize." Chen Ming was actually asking, *Where did I offend you earlier?*
Zhou Xun looked at the boy in front of her with interest. She glanced around to see that everyone was busy with their own things, then said, "For your role, do you know who I originally wanted to recommend?"
"Uh... who?"
"Chen Kun."