Chapter 357
The next evening.
Zhou Xiao, having arrived in Beijing, rested at the hotel before taking a taxi with her camera to the campsite Qiu Ze had given her. Zhou Xiao was an intern on the photography team, so naturally, she brought her camera.
For this year's May Day Gala, CCTV's location filming was largely sponsored. The campsite Zhou Xiao visited is also a popular local spot for internet celebrities to build their team.
The Changjue Lake Campground boasts a Nordic-inspired design and is surrounded by numerous recreational facilities. However, the highlight of the campground is the sapphire-like Changjue Lake, nestled amidst the green grass, at its center.
The sun had not yet set when Zhou Xiao arrived. Standing at the camp gate, gazing at the sun setting almost parallel to the lake, she couldn't help but sigh.
It’s so beautiful!
This is the kind of campsite that's truly worth advertising. Not only does it have excellent infrastructure, but it also takes considerable effort to create such a relaxing environment in the fast-paced city of Beijing.
But before anyone could savor the atmosphere, the next second, several high-powered lights flickered on simultaneously above the ethereal, beautiful lawn, resembling an oil painting. The incandescent bulbs swallowed up the last sliver of orange left by the setting sun. At that moment, they became the brightest presence in the base.
Covering her forehead with the back of her hand, Zhou Xiao, who was standing at the door, took advantage of the moment to jog over. As for why her purpose was so clear, it was naturally because...
Under the high-probability light, a head that had been "polished" to a perfectly smooth finish became the focal point of the entire audience's attention. This effect, it's no exaggeration to say, could even act like a giant lightbulb.
The bald man at the location was Qiu Ze, one of Director Fang's students. They had arrived not too early, arriving a bit before Zhou Xiao. After setting up the filming set, Qiu Ze had to rush off to the next location. The subsequent filming was handled directly by the veterans of the photography crew.
As someone who thrived behind the scenes at the main station, it would have been impossible without the support of his own teacher. So when Fang Xi called and asked him to take her daughter with him, Qiu Ze agreed almost immediately.
But when Qiu Ze found out that the girl he added was Zhou Xiao, he was a little dumbfounded. Old Fang had thrown a missile at him. But he didn't think much about it. Since Old Fang said Zhou Xiao was his own child, he would just treat her as a junior.
Of course, I had rushed to the campground with the intention of meeting Zhou Xiao. Winning a major award at such a young age was truly impressive, both in terms of luck and skill. I also wanted to ask the "old hands" on the production team to be more polite to her and not treat her like an intern who could be summoned and dismissed at will.
As Qiu Ze stood on tiptoe to adjust the direction of the light, he happened to see Zhou Xiao walking towards him. At first glance, he was very satisfied.
Wearing neat denim overalls and a high ponytail, with a camera bag on her back, she looks like a girl who is efficient and effective.
If I were to work in my own team, wouldn't it be tens of thousands of times more reliable than the interns the station had recently hired? Of course, this was just a thought.
After giving a strong slap to the headlight in front of him that was malfunctioning and flashing, Qiu Ze and others made sure that the headlight had been properly slapped. Then they stood on their heels and walked towards Zhou Xiao.
Because of the loud slap, the interns who were standing by and watching timidly didn't dare to breathe, fearing that the person in charge, who looked like Maitreya Buddha on the surface, would slap them from the props to their backs.
"Brother Qiu hasn't laughed so happily in a long time." Looking at the boss's friendly expression towards Zhou Xiao, Shang Xia, who was winking at her colleague Qiu Ze behind his back, said.
"Oh, so you didn't have lunch with us today?" Du Huiyue rolled her eyes, ignoring her colleagues' teasing. Brother Qiu was a typical warm-hearted person, and he was also a good person, otherwise Shang Xia wouldn't have dared to joke with him.
On the other side, Zhou Xiao was accepting the temporary worker badge from Qiu Ze with both hands. She was also listening carefully to the precautions he was giving her.
Although Zhou Xiao probably understood all of this, CGTN was, after all, a CGTN, and the restrictions were more severe. For example, there were often rules about not leaking secrets or running unauthorized content. If you violated these rules, you'd have to be prepared to receive a lawyer's letter at any time.
"Thank you, Teacher Qiu!" Among the pile of precautions, there were also some things Zhou Xiao wanted to know from the beginning, such as the scale of the group performances in NINE STAR's filming, the rehearsal time and location, and other related information.
"This is what I should tell you kids," Qiu Ze said, stroking his smooth head cheerfully. After spending some time with Zhou Xiao, he could understand why the teacher valued him so highly.
The two of them were already chatting as they reached the campground's parking lot. However, due to preparations for the May Day Gala filming, the parking lot was unusually busy. Because they had another destination to go to, Qiu Ze's driver, still in the driver's seat, opened the door and waved at him.
Looking at the street lights that had already turned on, Qiu Ze was just about to ask Zhou Xiao to stop seeing him off and was about to walk to the next night scene arrangement when he suddenly had an idea.
Although the news that NINE STAR will be performing on CCTV has become a hot topic online, for them, this kind of outdoor singing and dancing program does not require much effort.
Besides, there was only one person in charge of the camera crew, so he couldn't follow up every show in real time. If remote monitoring was possible before, then wouldn't Xiao Zhou next to him be more suitable than anyone else?
After Zhou Xiao won the award, Qiu Ze had also looked through his past works. He was very impressed with Zhou Xiao's ability. So, this last-minute idea seemed understandable, wasn't it?
After careful consideration, Qiu Ze finally decided to go straight to the point. He said to Zhou Xiao, "Xiao Zhou, although you are listed as an intern in the photography department, we all know that this is just to facilitate your comings and goings."
Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow and nodded, signaling the other party to continue. Although she was a little confused as to why this matter was suddenly brought up, she had no intention of interrupting.
"As you can see, I'm quite busy lately. If there are any problems with the on-site filming at the camping base and I can't get back in time, I'll need your help," Qiu Ze said in a serious tone.
Zhou Xiao paused for a moment and then spoke slowly, "The photographers that Teacher Qiu brings with him must be very capable. If it's really as you said, and I can help, I will definitely not refuse."
"Sure, sure." After hearing Zhou Xiao's reply, Qiu Ze's wrinkles almost broke into a smile. He half-leaned into the back seat of the car, waving his large, palm-leaf-fan-like hands at Zhou Xiao with the rhythm of a bee flapping its wings.
Zhou Xiao stretched out his hand and waved to the other party. After seeing that the car had already driven to the next destination, he returned to the camping site along the same route.
Although somewhat surprised that Qiu Ze had asked for her help on their first meeting, Zhou Xiao thought it wasn't a big deal after some thought. She wasn't exaggerating, but as a fangirl, she seemed to have suddenly developed a talent for stage photography. It might sound a bit pretentious, but for Zhou Xiao, the stage was the easiest dream to conjure.
Besides, this didn't necessarily require his help, as CCTV also attached great importance to the May Day Gala. Zhou Xiao thought he could take this opportunity to observe the rehearsal more.
…
The campsite at night was a stark contrast to the scenery Zhou Xiao had seen in the evening. Especially when the lights in the camp were turned on one by one, it was dreamy and beautiful. But she noticed one thing: the staff who stayed on site didn't take the scene seriously.
Zhou Xiao was initially a bit confused, thinking it was a waste of scenery. But then he thought about the May Day Gala. Outdoor song and dance performances like this were obviously meant for daytime. After all, Nine Star's new song was rumored to be about youth, vibrancy, and energy.
When Zhou Xiao looked towards the center of the field again, he saw that the previously empty lawn had been expanded by many things. The largest and most eye-catching of these was the staircase that looked to have more than ten steps for taking photos and singing together.
The semi-arc-shaped, ultra-high staircase was placed on the lawn, forming a full circle with the surrounding scenery. But Zhou Xiao took a look and felt something was wrong: the circular area in the middle was too small.
Based on her understanding of NINE STAR's stages, even if it's a standing stage, there's always enough space for the members to move around. The current fenced-off stage is only big enough for three or four members to perform freely, but remember, NINE STAR has nine members.
"I didn't expect there was such a hidden place in Beijing, did I?" Just as Zhou Xiao was about to go and alert the props team, a voice suddenly came from behind. And from the tone of voice, it seemed as if the other party was talking to him?
"Hello, I'm Du Huiyue." Du Huiyue looked at Zhou Xiao in front of her with some surprise. She didn't expect that the person she had always wanted to meet would actually meet her at this recording.
What Zhou Xiao didn't know was that during the period when she suddenly emerged, many young people in the photography industry regarded her as an idol-level figure.
Although teachers and elders always refer to her as someone else's child to restrain themselves, those who prioritize technology actually like Zhou Xiao more.
And for Du Huiyue, the most crucial point was that Brother Qiu had given them instructions before he left. If you're in doubt, look for Zhou Xiao!
Because of this attitude, after hearing Zhou Xiao's suggestions on the venue during the conversation, Du Huiyue and Shang Xia who came over from behind went straight to the props team and asked them to expand the venue a little more.
The props team at the main station were no slouch. Upon hearing the implausible planning, someone immediately dug up NINE STAR's past stages and realistically estimated the space. After visually inspecting and discovering significant deficiencies, they immediately implemented the necessary changes.
As for Zhou Xiao, she had already returned to the hotel and was sending the data she collected today to Zhu Jian so that the fan club could discuss it within the club.
Compared to the other eight fan clubs, the Ji Shao Fan Club had a head start this time thanks to Zhou Xiao's help. When the number of extras to be recruited was set at around 300, they were determined to secure at least one-third of the spots!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
