Chapter 225
At Lu Qin’s food cart, facial recognition wasn’t going to help. No matter how famous they were, they had to wait in line.
Shu Man’er tried to get ahead by exchanging spots with an extra, but nothing worked. Not even asking for a signature or WeChat!
It was a joke!
At that moment, Shu Man’er was second to last in line, and the extra was third in line. Just as Shu Man’er was about to switch spots, the extra firmly said, “No way!”
Shu Man’er struggled all the way to the end of the line and only managed to get half a serving of stir-fried noodles.
…
Wu Chen saw the line growing long, and in his hurry and distraction, he NG’d again. An entertainment journalist snapped a photo and quietly wrote in their notebook.
[Rising star Wu Chen repeatedly NG’d in a scene simply because he couldn’t stop thinking about a nearby food cart!]
“Click!”
Director Wen couldn’t take it anymore and shouted “Cut” again. Not only had Wu Chen messed up his lines, but the cameraman’s shot was also off. Everyone was completely distracted by the aroma wafting from Lu Qin’s food cart, pulling their souls away!
Director Wen swallowed hard and reluctantly announced a 30-minute break. The word “break” acted like a stimulant, and Wu Chen and the rest of the crew immediately ran over.
Today’s menu featured more dishes–layered oil cake, spicy boiled fish fillets, twice-cooked pork, and mapo tofu!
Just looking at the names was enough to make your mouth water. The producer shook his head and sighed. A once serious film crew had turned into an open-air cafeteria!
“Li Tian! You, kid, trying to cut in line!”
The producer put his hands on his hips and grabbed a stagehand, pulling them out of line.
“Someone, get Li Tian into the pig cage!”
“…”
The producer had been in line early. He was in the first group.
“Layered oil cake! This is so delicious! Soft, sweet, and sticky! Even better than what I had in Fuchun!”
“Mapo tofu is invincible! Ah, so good, it’s almost making my crown fly off!”
“I still love stir-fried noodles! Never get tired of them!”
“Mr. Lu’s iced green bean soup is amazing! This is my third cup! I’m not worried about diarrhea!”
…
If Lu Qin’s food cart had a review feature, it would be flooded with five-star reviews!
The only negative reviews would be about things like “too long to wait in line,” “too many people in line,” and “it’s addictive!”
After 30 minutes, filming resumed. Actors and staff members took their positions. Director Wen and the producer called the people waiting in line back.
“You! Yes, you! Why are you still in line?”
“And you, pedestrian A, get to your position!”
“Extra B, what are you doing? Change into your costume!”
…
Several extras were pulled away, feeling frustrated. They only made about 100 yuan a day, and now they couldn’t even eat Lu Qin’s food. Honestly, it wasn’t worth it!
But there was no choice, the filming had to go on to earn a living. For now, Lu Qin’s food cart was temporarily closed. A portion of the outside customers who were waiting could hardly wait.
Lu Qin told Xiaomi to take some of the food outside and sell it to non-crew customers.
“Hey, hey, hey!”
“You can’t! There’s not enough for the crew!”
Vice Director Chen Dong saw what was happening and quickly ran over to stop it.
“Mr. Lu, you can’t sell the food outside! The crew’s counting on your food!”
“Everyone who’s had your stir-fried noodles is more energized for filming!”
“Some people didn’t get enough to eat yesterday!”
“Can you just sell inside the crew? Trust me, it’ll all sell out!”
Chen Dong passionately tried to persuade Lu Qin.
“I’ve prepared a lot, Vice Director Chen. There’s enough to sell to the crew.”
“If you don’t let the outside customers buy, I think today your crew will be torn apart,” Lu Qin pointed to the outside crowd.
In the crowd, many eyes were glaring at Chen Dong, seemingly ready to eat him alive. Chen Dong swallowed and pulled his neck back.
“Mr. Lu, are you sure there’s enough for everyone?”
“There’s enough.”
Lu Qin had decided on a purchasing limit for the day, not allowing people to gorge themselves. It was fine as long as they ate enough—eating until you couldn’t move wasn’t healthy anyway.
After eating Lu Qin’s mapo tofu, Wu Chen’s taste buds were satisfied, and his acting was on point. Several scenes were completed in one take.
At last, he was living up to his title as a promising young actor.
“Alright, cut!”
Director Wen took off his headset and instructed the assistant director to prepare for the next scene. Suddenly, there was an unexpected round of applause in the set.
Everyone turned to see what was going on. A tall man had appeared from nowhere. He was wearing a mask and sunglasses, hiding his face.
Wu Chen looked puzzled, then suddenly his eyes widened in shock as he shouted, “Senior Brother!!”
“What are you doing here?”
Wu Chen was extremely surprised and ran over immediately. The young man took off his sunglasses and mask, revealing a familiar handsome face.
It was He Zhuo!
“He Zhuo!!”
“He Zhuo!!”
“It’s He Zhuo!”
“Didn’t expect there to be such a top-tier star in the ‘Happy Sunshine’ crew!”
“Oh my god! What luck! I actually saw He Zhuo in person!”
He Zhuo was a top-tier actor in the film and television industry, having starred in countless quality films and series, and endorsed numerous big brands. He had both looks and acting skills, winning multiple awards.
He was from the same entertainment agency as Wu Chen. Wu Chen’s role in Happy Sunshine was recommended by He Zhuo. The original plan was to cast He Zhuo as the lead actor, but due to scheduling conflicts and a high pay rate, He Zhuo turned it down.
Not wanting the role to go to someone outside, He Zhuo recommended Wu Chen. Director Wen and the producer greeted He Zhuo politely when they saw him.
He Zhuo made a surprise visit, just in time to see that Wu Chen had nailed several scenes in one take. He gave a satisfied nod.
“Director Wen, the person I recommended isn’t bad, right? This kid’s acting is trustworthy.”
Director Wen nodded and smiled.
“His acting is indeed good, but he still needs some improvement in his willpower.”
He Zhuo heard this and immediately understood. Although Director Wen was generally satisfied with Wu Chen, there were still some issues.
Suppressing his curiosity, He Zhuo turned to Director Wen and said, “If Wu Chen’s not doing well in any aspect, feel free to scold him! Don’t hold back!”
After a few exchanges, He Zhuo pulled Wu Chen aside.
“You, kid, what does Director Wen mean by your willpower needing improvement?” He Zhuo frowned and asked seriously.
He Zhuo really liked Wu Chen, but he was also strict with him. Getting scolded by him was better than being scolded by a director on set.
“Senior Brother, it’s because the food cart came to the set, and I was distracted by the smell during filming,” Wu Chen scratched his head. “It’s not really my fault—Zhai Lin NG’d several times too.”