Chapter 94: A Huge-Name Rising Star Heartthrob

“See that idiot over there?” Wu Kai said to Chen Yufeng, pointing at the long-haired man as he gradually walked away. “That fool actually had the nerve to go badgering Director Gao, thinking he could land an important role. He was spouting nonsense about how he’d trained his acting for years, how his skills were better than those pretty-boy idols, begging them to give him a chance. Tell me, isn’t that ridiculous? What good is acting, anyway? You know what the rules are, don’t you?”

“Oh, heh.” Chen Yufeng said nothing else. He only felt that those extras were indeed rather pitiable; wanting a chance was not too much to ask.

But everyone wanted a chance, and not everyone could have one. There were too many hidden rules in this line of work. Becoming famous was never easy...

As they spoke, Chen Yufeng had already followed Wu Kai to the makeup room.

He was serving as the male lead’s stand-in, so his outfit was identical to the lead’s. Having changed into ancient costume, Chen Yufeng felt rather handsome indeed.

A confident smile appeared on his face.

Even his stride became vigorous and spirited, and from time to time he flourished a sword in self-admiration, looking quite pleased with himself.

His behavior drew laughter from several extras and crew members nearby.

“Damn, look at that fool, what’s he doing? It’s only a stand-in role, does he really need to get this excited?”

“Hey, isn’t that guy already acting like he’s the main character? Does he really think he’s that famous actor?”

“Don’t say that about him. Everyone has fantasies now and then. Do you all really not want to be the lead?”

Just as they were pointing at Chen Yufeng and mocking him, something even more ridiculous happened.

Chen Yufeng suddenly sprang into the air, leaping onto the prepared stage in one bound. Then he looked down at the crowd below, raised his sword, and shouted:

“I, the Dragon Emperor, stand here. Let the demons all be slain!”

The entire set froze.

After a brief pause, every pair of eyes in the crew turned in unison toward Chen Yufeng, staring at him as if he were a fool. What followed was a wave of derision, along with a spray of spit:

“Has that kid gone crazy wanting fame? Does he have to be this ridiculous? Is he trying to get the director’s attention?”

“What a comedian. He’s shamelessly overacting to the extreme. No one does it like him.”

“Good Lord, is this guy really taking himself for the lead now? You’re a supporting role, buddy. Know your place.”

Seeing their reactions, Chen Yufeng smiled faintly, darkly pleased inside. He would put on a little show first and warm up.

“Where did this madman come from? What kind of fit is he throwing? Who’s responsible for him?” The chief director, Gao Hong, roared through a megaphone. The rest of the crew burst into laughter.

“Director Gao, sorry, terribly sorry. That kid is with me.” Wu Kai was startled nearly out of his wits, cold sweat beading on his forehead. Fortunately, he was an old hand and reacted quickly, hurrying over to explain to Gao Hong:

“Here’s the thing, Director Gao. He’s the stand-in for this scene, the one for Jin Chexi. I figured he was probably working up his emotions, so he’d get into character more easily when the camera rolled.”

“Working up his emotions, my ass.” Gao Hong slapped Wu Kai on the head on the spot. “It’s just a shot of his back. What emotions does he need to work up? Is there even a shot of his face? You people just keep causing trouble for me.”

With that, he shot Chen Yufeng a glance, then barked at Wu Kai, thoroughly irritated, “Tell him to get lost right now. Looking at him gives me a headache.”

Wu Kai shuddered and hurriedly said, “No, Director Gao, please look—filming is about to start. Besides, he’s already dressed. Let him finish this shot. Don’t worry, once it’s done, I’ll make him disappear at once. He won’t get in your way.”

“Fine, then I’ll give you that much face.”

Gao Hong snorted and consented at last, too lazy even to spare Chen Yufeng another glance.

Chen Yufeng was watching from over there as well.

He could tell at once that this kind of director was arrogant to the core, a loud, swaggering type who thought himself some great lord. To him, the extras probably didn’t even count as human beings, which was why he couldn’t be bothered to look at them.

“Thank you, Director Gao. Thank you...” Wu Kai finally let out a long breath. Before the extras, he could play king of the world, but in front of a director like Gao Hong, he could only bow and scrape like a grandson.

After all these years, he had relied on a cunning mind and smooth dealings to navigate every direction before finally clawing his way into the role of extra manager. If he offended Director Gao and made him angry, how was he supposed to keep this bowl of rice in his hands?

The more Wu Kai thought about it, the angrier he became. All of this was this idiot’s doing. He immediately trotted over and shouted at Chen Yufeng:

“You damn fool, are you looking to die? What kind of madness is this? Do you still want to survive in the crew? What did I tell you just now? Did you think my words were crap? If I hadn’t seen that you were already dressed, I’d have kicked you out right now.”

“Heh.” Chen Yufeng merely gave a faint smile and ignored him.

After cursing Chen Yufeng for a while longer, Wu Kai couldn’t be bothered to deal with him anymore. The sight of Chen Yufeng alone made him annoyed. What an idiot. Once the shot is done, get the hell out at once.

With that look of yours, you still want three hundred yuan?

You’d be lucky to get thirty, and only if I’m in a good mood. What a damn headache.

This little episode passed in the blink of an eye, and the crew soon returned to work.

Only, when the others looked at Chen Yufeng, the stand-in who had been acting like a clown, their eyes now clearly held a trace of contempt.

More than twenty minutes later.

All departments on set had finished their pre-shoot preparations, and they were now just waiting for the male lead, Jin Chexi, to arrive and begin filming.

Jin Chexi was one of the hottest young idols in the country, dazzlingly popular. On top of that, his family was rich, making him a spoiled second-generation heir, so arrogance came naturally to him and acting like a diva had become a habit.

Every time he came to shoot, he made the entire crew wait for him alone.

The crew had long harbored resentment over his diva behavior, but there was nothing they could do. Who told him he was the blazing hot star? Who told him he was the lead?

What mattered even more was that his father had invested in this production, which made his diva antics all the more brazen.

In the anxious wait, another four or five minutes passed. Then the assistant director raised a loudspeaker and shouted at everyone:

“Quick, quick, quick, everyone line up in two rows to welcome Young Master Jin...”

“What are you standing there stupidly for? Move it and get in line. Line up properly and make Young Master Jin happy...”

“Damn it, it’s this nonsense again. It’s killing me...”

Every time Jin Chexi came, it was always the same. The production put on a grand display, with all the crew and actors lined up in two long rows waiting for his car to arrive, just to show off his status.

Though the crew were full of resentment, they still had to comply.

Veteran actors with real standing and those with a bit of fame naturally did not have to go.

But ordinary actors, extras, and crew members had to be there. Otherwise, what awaited them was a barrage of insults from the director and deductions from their pay.

Who would dare not go?