Chapter 54: Gathering Funds
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
The three of them didn’t understand the rules of these industries, but they had heard of this saying.
The police officer returned the ID and kindly reminded him, “You should try your best to recruit in the name of the company on the recruitment website, or you can cooperate with schools. With your method of searching, someone might come to report you later.”
Xu Chang bit his lip in frustration. If he had the ability to cooperate with a school, he wouldn’t have resorted to searching the streets for actors. However, he didn’t intend to voice his thoughts out loud. He couldn’t risk damaging his reputation, could he?
Xu Chang agreed in a cooperative manner, “Okay, I’ll make sure to follow the proper procedures in the future.”
After they left, Xu Chang lost interest in finding the female lead and decided to take the bus home. On his way back, he stumbled upon an auntie selling steamed buns on a cart by the street near his residence. He spent five yuan to buy four stale steamed buns and carried them back to his basement apartment to alleviate his hunger.
Xu Chang gazed at the 82 yuan in his hand and took a bite of the steamed bun. He grabbed a cup of tap water and gulped it down, sighing softly. “If we can’t find the female lead and start filming soon, even steamed buns will become a luxury item.”
Xu Chang munched on his steamed bun as he opened up an app on his phone to browse through the latest songs from various musicians. He was searching for a perfect fit for his upcoming movie.
…..
Xu Chang munched on his steamed bun as he opened up an app on his phone to browse through the latest songs from various musicians. He was searching for a perfect fit for his upcoming movie.
Xu Chang took a big bite of the steamed bun as he casually clicked on the video. In the video, a girl was playing the piano in her school uniform. The sunlight shone on her and the piano, and the girl looked out of the window with a mixture of unwillingness and tenacity in her eyes, creating a contrast with her gentle appearance.
Xu Chang’s mouth hung open in amazement as he took a bite of the steamed bun. As the music video ended, he swallowed the last bit and exclaimed, “She’s perfect for the female lead!”
He checked the release time of the video and realized that it had been posted for a few days already. Xu Chang felt uncertain about when Bai Zheng would see his private message, and he knew that even though he was a fan of Bai Zheng, they did not have a personal relationship. Therefore, it was possible that Bai Zheng might not give him the girl’s information.
Xu Chang couldn’t wait to search for Bai Zheng’s details online. Bai Zheng’s studies at Hai City’s No. 1 High School were public information, and it was likely that the piano girl was also a student at the same school. He was eager to personally convince her to join the project with sincerity.
Ignoring the remaining half of the steamed bun, Xu Chang threw it on the table and made more than ten calls in quick succession, managing to borrow 1,000 yuan.
It wasn’t that he was unpopular, but many people thought that after being in the industry for more than ten years, he hadn’t made much of a splash. He was even struggling to make ends meet. Everyone advised him to change careers, so they were hesitant to lend him money, feeling that it would be enabling his mistakes.
Xu Chang purchased the cheapest train ticket available and hurriedly made his way to Hai City.
Huang Yue had been quite busy these past few days, dividing her time between flirting with Wang Jing and practicing for the ukulele performance at the school anniversary party.
Looking at the takeaway box in Wang Jing’s hand, Huang Yue asked in surprise, “Is this Xingyue Restaurant’s steak? I haven’t eaten it in a long time.”
Xingyue Restaurant was the only three-star Michelin restaurant in Hai City. Although Huang Yue’s younger brother often dined there with their mother, Huang Yue had only been taken there once as a reward for getting into No. 1 Middle School a year ago. She still vaguely remembered the taste of the steak she had eaten on that occasion.
A hint of panic flashed across Wang Jing’s face, but he quickly suppressed it and put on a smile. “Baby, you’ve worked hard practicing the ukulele. Tonight is your time to shine. Of course, I have to express my gratitude. I need to curry favor with a budding artist like you, lest you forget about me when you become successful.”
Huang Yue was amused by Wang Jing’s playful words. They found a stone table under a tree on the school grounds and began to enjoy their meal.
As Huang Yue opened the takeaway box, she asked with curiosity, “Why did you only order one takeaway?”
Wang Jing didn’t reply immediately. He looked down, the smile fading from his lips. “I’m not hungry,” he said. “You go ahead and eat.”
Huang Yue looked up from her work, concern etched on her face. “Is everything okay?” she asked. “You look upset.”
Wang Jing’s smile faltered and he forced a grin. “Something’s come up with the biological company I invested in before. I need to transfer funds urgently. My father’s been pressuring me to come back and take over the family business, but I want to achieve something on my own before I go back. I don’t want the shareholders who started the company with my parents to think less of me and believe that I rely solely on my family’s support. So, I’m exploring options to raise money. Thankfully, I only need 200,000 yuan more..”