Hearing Luo Xiao’s response, Wang Bin slowly nodded.
Whether they got a break or not didn’t really matter to him. Right now, all he wanted was to make this film the best it could be—flawless.
After all, this was essentially his first real movie, and he was playing the lead.
How could he not take it seriously?
As for the times he worked as an extra before, those didn’t really count. He didn’t even get a single shot on camera.
Ring ring ring!
Luo Xiao glanced at his phone and saw that it was a call from President Chen. He quickly answered.
“Yes, President Chen, I understand.”
A moment later,
Luo Xiao hung up and slipped the phone back into his pocket.
“Was that President Chen?” Wang Bin asked curiously when he saw Luo Xiao end the call.
“Yeah,” Luo Xiao nodded.
“What did he say?”
“President Chen will be visiting the set in three days. He’s coming to check things out and will also be organizing a team-building dinner for everyone.”
“Really? Then I guess we won’t be filming that day.”
“Right, we’ll take a day off. One day won’t affect the schedule too much.”
With that, Luo Xiao picked up the loudspeaker and called out again.
“Everyone, let’s stay focused and work hard these next two days. Let’s try to catch up on progress. In three days, President Chen will be visiting and organizing a team-building event for us.”
Hearing Luo Xiao’s announcement, the crew members who were packing up the filming equipment couldn’t help but pick up the pace.
…
Three days later,
A black G-Wagen slowly drove into the film studio complex.
“President Chen, the GPS says we’re here,” Yang Dahai said, turning to the back seat where Chen Mo was sitting.
“Alright, find a place to park,” Chen Mo nodded, then opened the door and stepped out.
Originally, he had planned to drive home on his own and then head to Beijing afterward. But when Yang Dahai’s family found out he was going to Beijing, they insisted that Yang Dahai go with him.
Chen Mo had initially refused. After all, it was the holiday break, and this was supposed to be Yang Dahai’s time off.
But Yang Dahai’s family was adamant. They said it wasn’t safe for him to drive to Beijing alone. In the end, Chen Mo had no choice but to agree and let Yang Dahai come along as his driver.
“President Chen, you’re here.”
As soon as he got out of the car, Luo Xiao and Wang Bin came over to greet him.
“Yeah. Where’s everyone else?” Chen Mo looked around and noticed it was just the two of them.
“They’re all waiting over there,” Luo Xiao said, pointing into the distance as he began to lead the way.
Before long,
They arrived at a simple courtyard.
“President Chen, this is the place. After filming, everyone usually comes here to rest.”
Chen Mo gave the place a quick once-over and frowned slightly.
The courtyard was extremely basic and run-down. With a hint of displeasure, he turned to Luo Xiao.
“Didn’t I tell you to take good care of the actors? Why are the living conditions so poor?”
He distinctly remembered telling Luo Xiao not to cut corners during filming and to make sure the actors were well accommodated.
Luo Xiao gave a wry smile at his words.
“President Chen, having a courtyard like this is already a luxury. A lot of other crews are living in tents.”
“They could stay in hotels!” Chen Mo said, unmoved. If the film studio’s environment was bad, then just stay in a hotel.
“President Chen, the nearest hotels are a bit of a distance from the studio. If we moved everyone there, we’d lose time every day transporting equipment and commuting.”
“Some of the equipment is too heavy. If the distance is too far, it’s hard for the crew to haul it all.”
Luo Xiao hurried to explain.
When the crew first arrived, he had considered putting everyone in hotels. But after weighing all the factors, he had to abandon the idea.
Even if they ignored the hassle of moving equipment, the daily commute alone would eat into filming time.
Heavy equipment, huh?
Chen Mo seemed to be thinking it over, then spoke calmly.
“Let’s leave it for this shoot. But for the next one, everyone should stay in hotels. A good rest environment is essential for proper recovery. And only when they’re well-rested can they perform at their best on set.”
“But President Chen, moving all that filming equipment is still a big issue,” Luo Xiao said with concern.
“That’s easy to solve. Manually hauling equipment is obviously exhausting. After this shoot wraps up, I’ll allocate a few more vehicles to Blue Film Studio. They’ll be used specifically for transporting gear and shuttling the crew during future shoots.”
Chen Mo said it casually, as if it were no big deal.
With vehicles and hotel accommodations, it would be a solid investment.
“Understood, President Chen,” Luo Xiao replied, this time without any objections.
Having dedicated vehicles would indeed solve a lot of problems. Even though the commute would still take some time, getting up fifteen minutes earlier during future shoots would pretty much make up for it.
The only downside to this plan was the cost.
Putting the entire crew up in hotels for three or four months of filming would be a significant expense.
But judging by President Chen’s attitude, it seemed like he didn’t care about the money at all.
Before the Mingri Group had even started filming, he’d already heard that President Chen was known for taking good care of his employees.
At the time, he had just joined the company and didn’t fully grasp what that meant.
Now, he was starting to understand.
“To: President Chen, happy Dragon Boat Festival.”
After arranging the details for the next shoot, Chen Mo walked straight into the modest courtyard.
But just as he approached, a sudden chorus of “Happy Dragon Boat Festival!” startled him, making him stop in his tracks.
He turned toward the courtyard and saw the entire crew standing neatly in formation.
“Why were you all in such a rush? Wait until President Chen sees you before shouting!”
Wang Bin, seeing that President Chen had been startled, quickly called out to the crew.
“Sorry, President Chen, we didn’t rehearse it properly.”
“No matter. Let’s skip surprises like this next time.”
Chen Mo waved his hand dismissively, clearly unamused, and the neatly lined-up staff responded calmly.
“Is everything packed? If so, let’s head out.”
“Yes, President Chen.”
Wang Bin nodded and began organizing the crew to move out.
As for the team-building location, it had already been booked in advance. All they had to do was head over.
……
Beijing.
Inside a five-star hotel, the film crew slowly made their way in.
Their eyes widened in awe at the lavish decor, and murmurs of amazement rippled through the group.
Most of them were just regular staff, and even the actors were either still university students or extras from the crew.
It was their first time stepping into such a high-end restaurant.
Soon,
A hotel staff member came over to greet them. Luo Xiao stepped forward and exchanged a few words before they were led to a private dining room.
Inside the room,
The actors were seated at two tables, while the production crew filled the other two.
Not long after,
A waiter pushed in a food cart.
“Su Tang, that’s Australian lobster! And that over there looks like caviar… I heard it’s super expensive.”
Jiang Xue whispered as she stared at the dishes on the cart, then quickly pulled out her phone and looked up the hotel.
She began checking the menu prices.
