What kind of nonsense is this about a college dropout from Beijing Film Academy being reborn as Bian

Chapter 15: The Dust Settles and the Minor Details

Guan Shengbai pushed open the bathroom door, and the cold wind from the corridor rushed in, making him shiver.

My eyes looked a little swollen in the mirror, and a very faint black aura between my brows was slowly dissipating, like ink being diluted in clear water.

He turned on the tap, filled his hands with cold water, and buried his face in it.

Without a doubt, this is a side effect of using the [Girl's Eye].

Aside from the previous unintentional passive use, this is the first time he has actively used the ability of this destiny.

The moment Kong Sheng placed that cup of wine in front of him, he began to have doubts.

Judging from his previous behavior, this Shandong director doesn't seem to have a bad drinking habit, and according to rumors, he's not the kind of old hand who likes to use drinking culture to intimidate others.

Why did they have to do this when everyone had already had a full drink?

In that split second of silence, Guan Shengbai activated the [Girl's Eye].

Then he saw an answer that surprised him.

【Desire and Subtlety】What he told him was very simple, only four words—

Young and impetuous.

Guan Shengbai understood instantly.

Throughout the dinner, what Kong Sheng wanted to see was not who was better at interpersonal relationships, who knew better about etiquette, or who could make the leader happy at the dinner table.

What he really wanted to see was whether either of the two young men in front of him still possessed that sharp, youthful spirit.

That kind of unyielding pride.

That kind of courage to stand up and fight back after being offended.

Because Fang Mengwei is that kind of person, a reckless young man who knows it's like a mantis trying to stop a chariot but still charges forward into the face of a blade.

Wang Kai has a very accurate understanding of the role, handles things flawlessly, and his professional skills are beyond question.

But his behavior in front of that glass of wine was still too "well-behaved".

Respectfully and obediently, I raised my cup and downed it in one gulp.

That style was mature and steady, but it lacked any sharpness.

Guan Shengbai, who also possesses outstanding acting skills, gave a different answer.

He used three glasses of wine, a broken glass, and a few offensive words to give Kong Sheng a live performance of "Fang Mengwei's spirit possession".

If you force me to drink, I'll toast you.

That's just etiquette.

But I will say everything I need to say, not a single word less.

This is the unyielding spirit of youth.

However, to be honest, his performance just now wasn't entirely acting.

Although those three drinks were meant to "cater to his tastes," the impromptu outburst made him feel quite pleased.

However, the side effects of the [Girl's Eye] are indeed a bit troublesome.

He rubbed his throbbing temples, feeling a faint, needle-like pain deep in his eye sockets.

This was the first time he had used his pupil power, and the side effects were more severe than he had imagined.

But it was worth it.

Guan Shengbai washed his face, took a tissue to wipe the water droplets off his face, composed himself, and turned right to go to the front desk.

"Hello, checkout for the east wing."

The receptionist smiled, typed a few words on the computer, and then pushed the bill over.

Guan Shengbai looked down and his eye twitched involuntarily.

Good guy.

The prices of those few traditional Shandong dishes personally ordered by Confucius were ridiculously high.

In addition to those few bottles of Langyatai liquor, there were also some private dishes that he couldn't name.

It's just that the "Tiny Times" production team recently paid him part of his salary; otherwise, he would be sitting here in a really awkward position.

Guan Shengbai calmly pulled out his bank card.

Swipe card, enter password, sign.

The movements were fluid and effortless, without even a blink of an eye.

After he put the card away, he turned and walked towards the private room.

Because he knew in his heart that this was the proper course of action.

Kong Sheng asked him to pay the bill, not because he wanted to rip him off.

It was not retaliation for his "offense".

This is a tacit agreement, a statement of acceptance.

The person who can pay for the production crew is a member of the production crew.

So the moment Kong Sheng asked Guan Shengbai to pay the bill, the competition between him and Wang Kai was already over.

Guan Shengbai even guessed that Wang Kai, who was in the private room, probably wished he could pay the bill for him right now.

For the price of a meal, you can get a brilliant role in a big-budget production that could elevate your career.

When he returned to the private room, everyone looked like they had eaten and drunk their fill, and some were even getting up to leave.

Kong Sheng leaned back in his chair, the blush on his face fading slightly, but his eyes remained bright, clearly waiting for him.

Li Xue was putting on his coat when he saw Guan Shengbai return. He nodded to him with a faint smile on his lips.

"Little White, come here."

Kong Sheng waved, signaling him to come closer.

"April."

Without wasting any words, Kong Sheng went straight to the point, "Filming for 'No War in Beiping' will begin in April."

Once you get back, clear out your schedule from April onwards. Have your agent coordinate the contract details with the production team.

He paused, then added, "Be prepared to endure hardship while filming this movie. Our entire crew was stationed in Hengdian for several months at a time, and we weren't allowed to film other projects simultaneously or take leave to do commercial performances."

"clear."

Guan Shengbai's answer was crisp and concise.

"That's settled then."

Kong Sheng waved his hand, stood up, pushed his chair further inside, and said, "I'm leaving."

Professor Chen Bing also stood up. "Xiao Bai, you rest for a while. I'll go see Lao Kong off for you."

"Take care, Director Kong; take care, Director Li."

Guan Shengbai did not refuse, but bowed slightly and watched the two directors pick up their coats and walk out.

As Kong Sheng passed by him, he suddenly stopped, glanced at Wang Kai who had been silent for a long time, and then patted Guan Shengbai's shoulder heavily.

"Read Fang Mengwei's script carefully."

He only said that one sentence before walking out of the private room without looking back.

But it was hard not to feel the force of that slap on Guan Shengbai's shoulder.

Li Xue followed behind, and as he passed Guan Shengbai, he added, "It's good that young people have spirit, but don't break cups next time; cups cost money too."

His tone was somewhat teasing.

Guan Shengbai smiled and touched the back of his head with his stubble: "Director Li is right, I'll pay attention next time."

After the two directors left, the atmosphere in the private room suddenly became much more relaxed.

The production company representatives, who were originally acting as the "atmosphere team," became noticeably warmer towards Guan Shengbai.

A middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses walked over first, took out a business card from his suit pocket, and handed it to him with both hands.

"Ms. Guan, my surname is Chen, and I work in the artist management department of Shanghai Media Group Pictures. I heard you don't currently have a management company?"

Guan Shengbai took the business card, glanced at the three characters "Chen Jianguo" printed on it and the gold-embossed company logo, and nodded politely: "Yes, I'm currently working alone."

"That's great."

Vice President Chen's smile deepened. "Teacher Guan's appearance and acting skills are both outstanding. She has also landed a big production like 'No War in Beiping.' Forgive my bluntness, but she has a very promising future."

"If Mr. Guan doesn't mind, our SMG Pictures is very willing to cooperate with you on agency matters. We can discuss the terms in detail..."

Guan Shengbai politely exchanged a few words with him, accepted the business card but did not express his opinion on the spot.

He knows it perfectly well.

The representatives of these producers had a keen sense of smell; as soon as they saw Kong Sheng nod in approval of his talent, they tried to "hijack" him.

Unfortunately, he had little interest in SMG Pictures' artist management business.

In his memory, the company was really mediocre in this regard, with only a handful of artists under its wing who were recognizable.

Signing them agency contracts is no different than scattering seeds in saline soil.

Having more options isn't necessarily a bad thing; keeping the business card is fine.

After seeing off several representatives from the production company, Wang Kai was left alone in the private room.

This future A-list star is still sitting in his seat, with an empty wine glass in front of him.

He noticed Guan Shengbai's gaze and picked up the still-empty bottle of Langyatai tea, pouring himself another half-cup.

"Teacher Wang..."

As soon as Guan Shengbai opened his mouth, Wang Kai raised his wine glass to him, then tilted his head back and drank it all in one gulp.

This time, however, he drank much slower than before, sipping it slowly, as if savoring the taste.

"To be honest, this drink is much more bitter than the last one."

Wang Kai put down his wine glass, wiped his mouth, and revealed a calm smile.

"I spent almost two months preparing for the role of Fang Mengwei, and I read the script three times. Before Director Kong called me in, I already felt that this role was definitely mine."

He paused, looked up at Guan Shengbai, and his tone was not sour, but rather somewhat sentimental.

"But as soon as you arrived, you completely ruined all my preparations over the past two months in just one meal."

Guan Shengbai didn't respond, but just listened quietly.

"But losing to you isn't unjust."

Wang Kai shook his head, stood up, walked to Guan Shengbai, and extended his hand.

"Your three toasts just now were neither humble nor arrogant. To be honest, if I were in your position, I might not have dared to do that. But Director Kong just happens to like that."

Guan Shengbai grasped his hand.

Wang Kai's hands are dry and strong, with a thin layer of calluses on the web of his hands, a result of years of fitness training.

"You're too kind, Teacher Wang."

Guan Shengbai held his hand and smiled sincerely, "To be honest, these past few days while reading the script, I've been thinking about how I would play Fang Mengwei."

After listening to your understanding of the character, I feel I have benefited greatly.

Wang Kai was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled, "Are you trying to comfort me?"

He paused, then suddenly stopped smiling, patted Guan Shengbai on the shoulder, and his tone became more serious.

"Perform this role well, and portray Fang Mengwei well."

Guan Shengbai looked at the man in front of him who was almost ten years older than him and suddenly felt a little surprised.

He originally thought that although Wang Kai was polite on the surface, he must have some resentment in his heart.

After all, it would be a bit upsetting for someone who had a role that was within their grasp to be snatched away by an unknown newcomer.

But Wang Kai spoke frankly and openly.

As Guan Shengbai looked at the man in front of him who was almost ten years older than him, a gossip news story he had read in his previous life suddenly flashed through his mind.

That happened after Wang Kai became a sensation because of a certain drama.

There are rumors that he has an ambiguous relationship with a female celebrity who is much older than him, and that the female celebrity was once engaged to another Taiwanese male celebrity who has been blacklisted.

At the time, the rumor was so convincing that it had a significant impact on this rising star.

As someone in the public relations industry, Guan Shengbai was naturally familiar with such gossip, but he mostly regarded it as industry gossip.

Looking at the composed man before him, he suddenly realized that despite the rumors, Wang Kai was far more capable than he had imagined, at least in terms of his character and conduct.

"Could we exchange contact information?"

Guan Shengbai also handed over his phone, saying, "There might be opportunities to collaborate in the future."

"certainly."

Wang Kai took the phone, and the two exchanged phone numbers.

When he returned the phone to Guan Shengbai, he gave him another deep look and patted him on the shoulder.

"You are so much better than I was at this age."

"I'm not ashamed that the role of Fang Mengwei fell into your hands. Go for it, I have high hopes for you."

After saying that, he picked up his bag, waved to Guan Shengbai, and strode out of the private room.

Guan Shengbai stood alone in the empty private room, looking at the leftover food on the table, and suddenly felt a sense of peace after everything had settled down.

Fang Mengwei is in the bag.

He found a chair, sat down, held his breath, and opened the system panel to see what he had gained this time.

Side Quest: Devouring Fortune

[Task Status: In Progress]

[Mission Description: You have successfully entered the four-star blessed land, the film crew of "No War in Beiping," and acquired the important role of "Fang Mengwei." Mission progress is 35%. Further progress will be made after you officially move into the blessed land.]

really.

Guan Shengbai stroked his chin. It seemed that this task wasn't over once he got the role. He would probably have to wait until April to officially join the crew, and it might even take until the entire series was filmed before he could be paid.

No wonder it was a four-star divine ability; the requirements were indeed high.

But this is for the best.

Anyway, he was going to take this movie seriously anyway, and this role was just icing on the cake.

He stood up, picked up the red plastic bag containing his coat, and glanced at the private room one last time.

The lights made the cups, plates, and bowls on the round table sparkle, and several empty liquor bottles sat crookedly on the corner of the table. The air was still filled with the mixed aroma of liquor and food.

Guan Shengbai walked out of the private room and closed the door behind him.

……

……

When I came out of Hongqiao Airport, a light drizzle was falling in Shanghai, and the air was so damp and cold that it could seep into my bones.

The taxis queuing outside the airport, their red taillights gleaming, stood out starkly against the gray winter sky.

Guan Shengbai hailed a taxi, gave them the hotel's address, and leaned back in the back seat to browse his phone.

In the crew's WeChat group, Xie Yilin was sharing a picture of a roadside fried noodle stall she discovered last night. The picture was so blurry it looked like it was taken with a landline camera. Guo Caijie replied with a "What kind of pixelation is this?" emoji.

Yang Mi coldly retorted, "Don't blame me if your face is swollen like a pig and you can't be on camera tomorrow after you finish eating," and then Xie Yilin sent a long string of crying emojis.

Business as usual.

It was already afternoon when we got back to the "Tiny Times" film crew's residence.

Guan Shengbai went to the crew office to cancel his leave. When the coordinator saw him, her eyes lit up, and she flipped through the call sheet to tell him about the upcoming arrangements.

"Teacher Guan, you don't have many scenes left, just a few group scenes. I've sent the schedule to your phone."

Guan Shengbai took the notice and glanced at it; there weren't many.

He only appeared in three or four scenes in total, mostly as a human background on the edge of the camera, without even a single line of dialogue.

At this pace, filming should wrap up in a week at most.

Before long, he was sitting on a bench on the set, flipping through the few supplementary pages of the script that the screenwriter had just given him.

It was called a supplementary page, but it was actually just two A4 pages with his movement and positioning for the next few background scenes.

There were no lines, no close-ups, just a few words in parentheses: "Xi Cheng stood at the back of the crowd, his expression gloomy."

gloomy.

Damn it, he's gloomy again.

Just then, Yang Mi appeared out of nowhere, holding two cups of coffee. She handed him one and kept the other to warm her hands.

"I heard you went back to Kyoto? To see Professor Chen Bing?"

She sat down next to him, the fluffy hood of her down jacket bunched up on her shoulders, making her already overly delicate face look as if it had been deliberately bathed in soft light.

Guan Shengbai took the coffee, took a sip, and nodded.

Yang Mi turned her head to look at him, her bright eyes filled with a scrutinizing gaze.

"You went to see Teacher Chen Bing... are you going to take on another role?"

Guan Shengbai nodded again.

"What play?"

"Director Kong Sheng's new project, 'No War in Beiping'."

Yang Mi blinked, then sat up straight.

"Kong Sheng? Kong Sheng from Shandong Film Studio? The Kong Sheng from 'Crossing the Guandong'?"

"right."

Yang Mi opened her mouth into an "O" shape, then quickly closed it, replaced by a smug look that said, "I knew it all along."

"I knew you were something special."

She paused, then suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, what's your thought about what I told you last time?"

Guan Shengbai certainly knew what she was talking about.

The matter of signing the contract.

The senior-junior relationship between Yang Mi and him is genuine.

But as a soon-to-be boss who was about to start her own business, her efforts to win him over were genuine.

In Guan Shengbai's view, these two are not contradictory.

In the entertainment industry, pure friendship and pure interests are rare; more often, it's a mixture of both.

His relationship with Yang Mi was probably a mixture of admiration, personal friendship, and considerations of mutual benefit.

"When is Jia-jie free to meet up?"

Yang Mi's smile became more genuine, her eyes crinkling with barely concealed joy.

"Oh, so you're finally willing to give me a straight answer? Okay, I'll make the appointment for you. In the next few days."

Guan Shengbai nodded.

The reason he decided to go to Zeng Jia's invitation was not because he was particularly fond of Yang Mi's studio, but because he was aware of his current situation.

His resume is too thin.

A dropout from the Beijing Film Academy, his only notable roles are a minor male lead in the yet-to-be-released "Tiny Times" and a supporting role in the yet-to-be-filmed "All Quiet in Peking".

Even if the latter is of great importance, it hasn't been filmed yet.

In this industry, unfilmed acting contracts are like unsigned checks; the difference between having one and not having one is just a thin veil of air.

He needs an agent who can help him connect with resources, negotiate contracts, and handle trivial matters.

He really didn't plan to consider Chai Zhiping's side. He knew the ways of the Hong Kong and Taiwan circles better than anyone else. If he signed with them, he would most likely just be working as a lackey for Ko Ching-teng.

Although Zeng Jia is also a capitalist by nature, at least for now, his alliance with Yang Mi is still relatively stable.

Moreover, to be honest, he had some indirect dealings with Zeng Jia in his previous life.

This woman is ruthless, has a broad vision, and is meticulous in her work; she can be considered one of the top agents in the country.

Later, the "palace intrigue" between her and Yang Mi caused quite a stir.

But in Guan Shengbai's view, it was a power struggle between two strongmen, with no right or wrong, only winners and losers.

And what he happens to excel at is dealing with such strong people.