"Director Yan, there are no seats left, can I squeeze in?"
Xiao He pulled up a small plastic stool and moved between Yan Shaohan and Guo Xinya, then asked Guo Xinya with a grin, "My sister and I have the most lines, so it'll be convenient for us to rehearse together later. Sis, you don't mind, do you?"
Guo Xinya looked at Xiao He with surprise, then understood his intention. She breathed a sigh of relief, smiled, and moved her chair to make room for him: "Of course, you are my best brother."
Through the characters' relationships, Xiao He naturally squeezed himself between the two.
Yan Shaohan, the clueless fellow, hadn't yet grasped Xiao He's solution, but instead of moving closer to Guo Xinya, he turned to the coordinator behind him and asked, "Is everyone here?"
The reason we've gathered the main cast and crew together today is not for the opening ceremony, but for a script reading.
Script readings, simply put, involve the creative team sitting together to analyze the script, clarify the plot logic and character motivations, and ensure that everyone has a consistent understanding of the story's direction and character settings. At the same time, any issues discovered in the script can be addressed in advance.
This °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° is considered an important step before filming begins.
Interestingly enough, Xiao He has been in the industry for a year and has participated in the filming of several dramas, but so far he has only participated in the reading session of "Law of the Jungle".
The previous film crews were either last-minute replacements or later crews that missed the deadline. Even the famous "The Thief Catcher" didn't have a formal reading session. They just went over the lines and plot with the script and started filming.
What? You're saying this isn't in accordance with the rules?
Lin Yipeng will tell you directly that she has no money.
Although this isn't considered the start of filming, the entire production team has already begun operating, and each day generates revenue, which can be a significant expense for some low-budget production teams.
Of course, this reading session was destined to be different—
After most of the people had arrived, the coordinator counted the number of people and whispered to Yan Shaohan, "There are still three people who haven't arrived yet."
"Huh? Three people? What happened to them? Could something have gone wrong?" Yan Shaohan was taken aback, then looked worried. "Call them right away and check on them. Make sure nothing bad has happened."
The coordinator immediately looked embarrassed: "Uh, I've already contacted them. Teacher Gao Zhenxia and Teacher Yuan Sitong might arrive a little later, and we can't get in touch with Teacher Lu Yuxi yet."
"Those three didn't come—" Yan Shaohan frowned in distress. "This is troublesome, as all three of them have quite important roles—"
The coordinator just smiled and didn't dare to say anything.
In this creative team, even Xiao He is a veteran who has been in the industry for a year, so who does Yan Shaohan, a new director, think he is?
To put it bluntly, almost everyone here is here for Zhuang Hongyi. With the huge IP of "Yu Ye" and the massive investment project, everyone knows this project is bound to be good. But that doesn't mean they approve of Yan Shaohan.
The only thing Yan Shaohan can boast about is his status as the original author.
But these days, even the original author isn't a magic bullet; they're not as reliable as popular actors joining the cast.
Other actors, perhaps out of respect for Director Zhuang's influence, maintained a polite facade and dared not act recklessly. However, there were a few stubborn individuals who were too lazy to even pretend, used to throwing their weight around, and looked down on Yan Shaohan completely.
However, it seems that Director Yan is quite oblivious and hasn't yet realized that the real reason behind this incident is actually himself.
Coordinator: ...After figuring out the situation, I feel even more worried. Can this production team really make it through smoothly?
He was skeptical of this.
Zhuang Hongyi, who was sitting to the side, overheard everything that Tong Ji and Yan Shaohan said.
As a seasoned veteran of the production crew, he naturally understood the coordinator's unspoken meaning.
Zhuang Hongyi's eyes darkened slightly. He pushed up his glasses and asked in a cool tone, "Who hasn't arrived yet?"
His face didn't have an overly serious expression, but when his gaze swept over the crowd, the previously chattering hall suddenly fell silent.
Everyone pricked up their ears and subtly glanced at Zhuang Hongyi and the coordinator in the front seats.
"It's Gao Zhenxia, Yuan Sitong, and Lu Yuxi."
The coordinator originally intended to whisper in Zhuang Hongyi's ear, but unexpectedly, Yan Shaohan, standing to the side, blurted it out on the spot, completely disregarding any consideration for the three people's feelings.
The previously relaxed atmosphere suddenly became tense after he spoke.
Everyone sat in their own seats, eyes downcast, pretending to know nothing, not daring to utter a sound.
Some people guessed that Zhuang Hongyi was preparing to make an example of someone to scare others.
"Them."
Zhuang Hongyi raised his hand and tapped his fingers lightly on the table. He was just a casually dressed man in a hoodie, but now his aura was terrifyingly strong, exuding the pressure of a big boss. "Tell me, what did they say?"
The coordinator swallowed hard, glanced at the people around him, and was about to whisper an explanation in Zhuang Hongyi's ear when Zhuang Hongyi interrupted him again: "Why only tell me? Everyone is waiting. Everyone has the right to know. There's no need to explain to only me."
Xiao He sat to the side, watching the coordinator constantly wiping away sweat, and his gaze towards Zhuang Hongyi held a different expression.
Indeed, someone who can consistently achieve box office success and amass wealth on their own cannot possibly be as gentle and harmless as they appear.
Faced with Zhuang Hongyi's words, the coordinator dared not give these three people any more face and could only say in a normal voice: "Teacher Gao said that she suddenly has a last-minute assessment and needs to spend more time, so she may be a little late. Teacher Yuan said that there is a last-minute notice and she can't make the adjustment, so she will be late. As for Teacher Lu... we haven't been able to contact her yet."
After listening to the coordinator's words, Zhuang Hongyi did not answer immediately, but continued to tap the table lightly.
—Even though there were people sitting all around him, the sound of his knocking was so clear that almost everyone could hear it clearly.
Xiao He couldn't help but raise a small flag for the three of them.
Someone's going to be in trouble... But this arrogant and unprofessional guy deserves it, hehe!
"I don't care who it is. Give them half an hour. If I don't see them there, then just pack the contract and get out."
Finally, in the somber atmosphere, Zhuang Hongyi calmly issued the order.
The crowd remained deathly silent; no one dared to speak up in support, much less question Zhuang Hongyi's authority.
"Okay." The coordinator wiped his sweat. "But we still can't get in touch with Professor Lu..."
Zhuang Hongyi shot him a sharp glare—
The coordinator immediately understood and nodded repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I understand, I'll go contact them right away!"
We are indeed trying to contact them, but as for if we can't reach them...
Then I'm sorry.
