Chapter 188
A laptop sat on a wooden desk in front of the floor-to-ceiling windows, the screen displaying the looks of models from the luxury brand Z.H. Zhou Xiao had purchased the wooden desk himself, large enough for one or two people.
Although smaller than the hotel study, sitting by this floor-to-ceiling window allows for a wider range of views of the skyscraper's beauty. Take the sunset before me, for example: clouds stained orange by the setting sun drift across the azure sky. From afar, the scene unfolds as a vibrant blend of colors.
Zhou Xiao placed the hot water on the table and began to examine the costumes for the photoshoot. Two days earlier, before the man revealed himself as the editor-in-chief of Shang Ken, Zhou Xiao had already formed a vague idea. After a brief hesitation, she accepted the offer.
For a photographer like Zhou Xiao to receive a personal invitation from a magazine editor is a testament to their immense respect. Considering Zhou Xiao is still a relative newcomer in the industry, it's heartening to be recognized for his trust and appreciation.
Although somewhat unexpected, Zhou Xiao's photo shoot for the March issue of Shang Ken was secured with a simple communication. Unlike her previous shoot with Ji Shao, this time she relied not on social skills but on her own strength as a photographer.
The photos on the screen were all the costumes for the shoot, which had just been sent to Zhou Xiao by Shang Ken magazine staffer A Rui that afternoon. This also allowed Zhou Xiao to come up with his own theme. Zhou Xiao had two days to choose a theme and submit it to the magazine. After reviewing it, they would immediately begin preparing the props needed for the shoot.
The cell phone that was placed aside rang. Zhou Xiao glanced and saw that it was Qi Sisi. He answered the call while looking at the model's look.
"Xiaoxiao! I got a call from the 'Running Man' production team too!" Qi Sisi was incredibly excited on the other end of the line. She'd watched as the production team called everyone else in the group to confirm their participation, but she hadn't received a call yet. She'd been worried the group might be full, but she'd just received a call from the production team confirming the recording.
"See, I told you you'll definitely be included!" Zhou Xiao replied to Qi Sisi as she clicked on the next photo. Their registration this time was relatively secretive, essentially an internal one. Zhou Xiao received a call from the production team the morning after filling out her information, which confirmed they were seriously short on staff.
Qi Sisi on the other end of the phone chuckled, "I'm just nervous! Xiao Shao has already been nominated, so there will definitely be more opportunities in the future. I'm afraid I'll have to stay at home studying this year, so I won't see him much anymore~"
The nomination Qi Sisi mentioned on the phone was the news that had just broken this morning. As a Chinese news weekly, they annually select outstanding individuals from various industries. This selection has been going on for 24 years and is quite prestigious.
When news broke that Ji Shao had been nominated for the "2023 Influential Person of the Year," it quickly became the top trending search. What's remarkable is the overwhelmingly neutral response. Previous Newsweek awards in the entertainment category typically feature a choice of popularity, acting, or music.
Ji Shao's live stage footage from two days ago is still fresh in people's minds. Now, reflecting on it, netizens realize that the latter half of last year's entertainment industry seemed completely dominated by the up-and-coming boy band NINE STAR. The competing show, "Dream Come True," was completely crushed, with even the finals generating only occasional buzz. And within this group, Ji Shao was undoubtedly the most eye-catching individual.
Hearing the slight sadness in Qi Sisi's voice, Zhou Xiao paused. Thinking of the ticket he had just received that morning for the Shanghai TV Spring Festival Gala, he said, "Aren't the marketing accounts saying NINE STAR will be participating in the Shanghai Spring Festival Gala? I could go and see them on my way to and from work, right?"
Zhou Xiao already knew whether Nine Star would participate in the Spring Festival Gala; otherwise, the system wouldn't have issued her tickets. Zhou Xiao guessed that this was mainly because the members were the ambassadors of Shanghai's Huashang District, and it was reasonable for them to participate in the local TV station's Spring Festival Gala.
Zhou Xiao also noticed that in addition to Ji Shao, the Shanghai Huashang District was also nominated for "Local Government Innovation of the Year" in this Newsweek nomination. It seems that the cooperation between NINE STAR and the local area has a positive effect on each other.
…
Outside the Shanghai Amusement Park, Zhou Xiao and his group had just gotten off the bus when they ran into Wenger and his group. Seeing Zhou Xiao, they trotted over. This time, there were quite a few fans hiding among the extras, and given their familiarity with each other offline, several of them with cameras in their bags gathered together to figure out how to hide their cameras.
But when everyone arrived at the door, they saw two strong young men in black wearing sunglasses standing by the security checkpoint. "The production team is awesome! They've moved all the hunters to the door." This was a question she had read about the original version a while ago. She took in the seriousness of the inspection and turned back to meet her friend Wenger's eyes.
Experienced, she now cast her gaze towards the nearby supermarket entrance, where items were stored. Wenger, who had remained where he was, patted his head lightly at this reminder, then grabbed Zhou Xiao and called the others over to check in their bags. "Let's go! Let's just experience the joy of being a supporting actor wholeheartedly."
Years of experience have taught them that if the security guard at the gate is older, there is a chance that he can "smuggle" the camera in. But if it's a young person, they will always check the soles of the person's shoes to see if there are batteries.
Zhou Xiao was held by Wen Gra's hand, and she and Zhu Jian gestured for them to go in first. The security guard at the door was very serious in checking. When they put their cameras away and returned to line up for inspection, they saw that some people were specially taken to the side. It seemed that there were quite a few people.
After passing security and reuniting with Zhu Jian and the others, they listened to the entire story. Li Mo, still a little frightened, said, "Luckily, I didn't use a celebrity photo as a substitute. Otherwise, I would have been denied entry like those people. I'm so thankful I wore makeup to the Starlight Gala that day!"
Extras are required to submit photos, and good-looking people are more likely to be selected. This is a rule that's laid out on paper. Because of this, many people use photos of influencers when applying, but the production team generally turns a blind eye. After all, if you claim you've had plastic surgery, the person won't care why you've done it to look uglier or look completely different.
Just as they gathered to gossip and chat, Zhou Xiao and his group were separated by the staff, splitting up into twos and threes. In fact, if they had taken a look at NINE STAR's offline support, they would have realized that such a split was futile.
It was because, in just a short while, Zhou Xiao had already spotted quite a few familiar faces. For example, Cheese and Qimiao, the two major offline support leaders, were not far away. This wave of people who had signed up were basically all fans of NINE STAR.
Inside the amusement park, Zhou Xiao and Zhu Jian, who was assigned to accompany them, watched the black-clad men in the distance, seemingly undergoing military training. Fortunately, the weather was perfect today, and standing in the open space wasn't too hot, so they didn't have to endure the torture of military training as extras.
"Hahaha, look at that black-clad guy standing on tiptoe in the second-to-last row!" The girl with side-bangs squatting beside them beckoned Zhou Xiao and the others to look over there. The three of them had been grouped together by the stagehands, and after probing each other and recognizing their shared responsibilities, they quickly resolved the awkwardness and began to get along harmoniously.
The other party told them to call her "Chengzi." Chengzi was an extra the production team had temporarily recruited from nearby Z University to fill in for someone who had been disqualified. From her, Zhou Xiao and the others learned that many of the men in black at the venue were students from the same university as her.
Zhou Xiao glanced at his watch. It was already nine in the morning. He wondered if the guests participating in the recording had arrived yet. The three of them had been assigned here by the director, as the staff had mentioned. It had been so long since any follow-up staff had arrived to take over. He figured they were probably just random people with no lines.
The amusement park was divided into six major areas, and the three people could only move around in one area and could not leave without permission. This was why they were bored and gathered together to watch the men in black training in front.
Orange on the side said with some regret, "If only it were summer, I would have to bring a piece of watermelon at my own expense and walk back and forth in front of them!" It was obvious that he had experienced this before.
As the three continued to watch the production crew train the men in black, they heard the sound of a car approaching nearby. Zhou Xiao turned her head and saw a staff member sitting on a small tricycle with a lot of props on it, slowly driving towards them.
Chengzi, who was standing next to Zhou Xiao, saw this and immediately stood up and waved over there, but he was immediately given a cold look by the staff. He then turned in the opposite direction, but his turning technique made Zhou Xiao, who was standing next to him, feel a little worried for him.
Zhu Jian, who was squatting on the ground, watched the other party turn into another road and said speechlessly, "This person's attitude is too bad!" Although she has rich experience in chasing stars, this kind of group performance experience is her first time participating, just like Zhou Xiao.
On the other hand, Orange, who was glared at, didn't take it seriously. "It's okay, this is still okay. The crews that came to shoot here before had worse attitudes. We are used to it. After all, we are here to see the stars, not them."
As they were talking, another car drove around the corner. The driver purposefully parked near the three of them and pulled out an old-fashioned camera. He looked at the three of them and said, "You're all supposed to be tourists at the amusement park. This camera will be your prop. You can't rest during the actual filming. You have to move around the entire time. Any questions?"
"No problem," Orange replied immediately, and he was about to reach out to take the camera. Unexpectedly, the other party raised his hand holding the camera and said in a serious tone, "This camera is still working properly. It has a tracking device inside. If it is lost or broken, you will have to pay for it. There are cameras everywhere here." He then pointed to the cameras around him.
"Camera?" Upon seeing the camera, Zhu Jian immediately turned his head to look at Zhou Xiao. Faced with such a passionate gaze, Zhou Xiao coughed lightly and asked, "Could you please show me the camera? We can decide whether to take this prop or not."
The man looked at Zhou Xiao, who had already extended her hand, and without saying anything, he placed the camera in her hand. Zhou Xiao took the camera and examined it. From experience, she could tell it was an older model. Its condition looked ordinary, and it didn't look well-cared for. But it was a prop after all, so she could understand it.
She raised her camera, adjusted the settings, and casually took a picture of the Ferris wheel in the distance. As she finished and put the camera down, she saw two people on her left and right looking at her eagerly. Meanwhile, Zhu Jian even winked at Zhou Xiao.
Zhou Xiao nodded to the two men first, patted the camera in his hand, looked up at the staff in front of him and said, "It's still usable, we'll keep it."
The staff member, observing Zhou Xiao's earlier gesture, knew she was camera-savvy. He forced a "hmm" through his nose, then sat back on the cushions, one hand on the steering wheel, and hurried off on his electric tricycle to the next location to distribute props.
Meanwhile, Zhou Xiao had already handed the camera to Chengzi, letting them both try out its features. Although it was an older model, it was easy to use, giving the three of them something to do while they waited.
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