Chapter 401
"Haidong asked for leave?" Zhou Xiao looked at Jiang Langli who was reporting to her with a strange expression. Could it be that Qiao Haidong's leave was caused by the email she sent last night?
Seeing the look on Zhou Xiao's face, Jiang Langli couldn't help but smile. When Qiao Haidong asked her for leave, his words were filled with impatience. Considering the changes over the past two days, it wasn't hard to guess that he must have received the original film Zhou Xiao had given him.
After a pause, she smiled and said slowly, "Haidong asked me to tell you that you could send the photos you took today directly to her email. If possible, she wants to work from home for the next few days and try to complete the task as soon as possible!"
Well, after hearing what Jiang Langli said, Zhou Xiao already knew that Qiao Haidong must have been working all night retouching the photos. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked for leave so soon after starting work.
Thinking that photo editing truly required a quiet environment, and considering Qiao Haidong's personal preference, Zhou Xiao agreed almost without hesitation. He also asked Jiang Langli to pass on a message for him, "Jiang Jie, please tell Xiao Qiao that you'll get overtime pay for working from home. But please take care of yourself and submit the finished work before the 30th."
"Okay," Jiang Langli replied calmly, pushing up her newly bought glasses. Her new employer was even more generous than she'd imagined, offering overtime pay even for working from home. In that respect, they were far ahead of their peers in the industry.
Zhou Xiao nodded and smiled, watching Jiang Langli leave the office. Just as she disappeared from her sight, her phone on the table vibrated.
"Is it almost here?" Zhou Xiao raised an eyebrow, pondering the photo Qin Shi had sent him over the chat. It was a large advertising screen that XS had filmed last quarter, located just down the road from the photography studio.
…
Inside the studio, two professional models brought by Qin Shi stood against a shadowless wall, fiddling with their perfume bottles for the camera. This was a niche airbag perfume. The emerald green glass bottle had faint traces of wormwood raised on it, and the airbag was designed to resemble a squeezable, cute little rice dumpling, perfectly fitting the festive atmosphere while being both compact and adorable.
As the photo was being taken, Qin Shi, who had been gazing at the monitoring room, couldn't help but be drawn to the model on the screen. The modern Chinese-style makeup and the airbag perfume in the model's hand were even more pleasing to the eye than the interaction between the actors.
This bright spot does not obscure the characteristics of the perfume itself, but instead makes people subconsciously focus more on the delicate little item in the hands of the two people in the studio. Because at the moment of being guided by the photographer, the people in the picture also focus their eyes on the perfume bottle like the spectators.
"Sure enough, Xiaoxiao is the one to go to when shooting a character commercial," Qin Shi sighed, her eyes fixed on the screen from then on. She had wanted to tell Zhou Xiao that her monitoring room was well-designed, but by the time Zhou Xiao arrived, she had completely forgotten.
When it came to the layout of the photography studio's surveillance room, Zhou Xiao still considered the advice Zhang Hongyu had given her. Though it had been a while, she'd still been keeping a record of it in her little notebook for important matters (also known as her online memo). After all, now that they had established a studio, it was naturally better to be able to provide impeccable service to their clients.
Comfortable tables and chairs, as well as snacks and drinks, were essential. There was even a refrigerator in the monitoring room, along with fashion magazines to entertain people. Of course, the only magazines scattered around were those whose covers Zhou Xiao had photographed.
A simple operating manual is placed on the desk in the monitoring room, as each of the four monitors has its own purpose. If the client wishes, they can also operate them independently by following the simple instructions, which gives them something to do.
This shoot was quite new to Qin Shi, as it was her first time at Zhou Xiao's photography studio. However, because she was Zhou Xiao's friend, she felt more at ease than the other employees at the studio.
In XS's Dragon Boat Festival-themed photoshoot, the photographer knew what feeling the brand wanted, and the model knew what "flavor" she needed to present, which made the shoot particularly easy.
When Zhou Xiao finished filming and opened the door to the monitoring room, he saw Qin Shi, his eyes sharply scanning the original footage shot today. Although he looked very stern and intimidating, his relaxed brows revealed his good mood.
"How about it?"
Zhou Xiao walked over to the table, put his arm around Qin Shi's shoulder, and watched the original film on the screen with her. Although the photo hadn't been post-processed, it was enough to make people want to buy the same perfume as the model.
"Come and sit down." Qin Shi didn't turn around, but patted the chair beside her. Zhou Xiao followed her and watched. Zhou Xiao didn't say anything more, picked up a bottle of prop incense on the table and sprayed it on the open space.
The delicate, unique "zongzi"-shaped airbags made a squeaking sound as Zhou Xiao moved. A slightly bitter herbal aroma filled the nose. Thanks to the XS perfumer's blend, this hint of bitterness, though subtle, became the finishing touch of the new product.
Thinking of Qin Shi's earlier request, Zhou Xiao felt incredibly lucky to have scooped up Qiao Haidong before the studio opened. But if she couldn't catch him, she could just keep trying. As for XS's post-production, she could handle it herself.
After politely declining Qin Shi's invitation to a business dinner, Zhou Xiao and his group watched their car disappear from their sight before slowly leading everyone back to the photography building.
This time, XS not only brought a contract and a model for the shoot, but also specially prepared a unique Dragon Boat Festival gift and opening gift - a perfume gift box.
Of course, because of the large quantity, even the security guard was given a bottle of calm sandalwood to use with the aromatherapy machine that Zhou Xiao had sent earlier.
…
Inside the Huashang Times Hotel, Zhou Xiao was stunned by the mountain of express deliveries that had piled up inside the room as the hotel staff helped him.
Although she had a hunch that there would be more Dragon Boat Festival gift boxes this year than last year, Zhou Xiao really didn't expect there would be so many, so she hoped that she didn't disturb the employees who helped her deliver the express too much.
But in reality, the arrival of these deliveries has actually made work a little more fun for the hotel staff. Lately, whenever a courier pulls his cart into the lobby, everyone's wondering which celebrity or brand Zhou Xiao's delivery is coming from. Well... it's pretty much a given that the courier delivers Zhou Xiao's packages every day.
The contents of each Dragon Boat Festival gift box were quite different, with the only thing they had in common being the rice dumplings that occupied one corner. Zhou Xiao sorted the various dumplings into categories, planning to give some to the ladies at the hotel and take the rest back to the base to share.
Zhou Xiao planned to have Shu Nan look at the other items in the gift box to see if there were any that could be used to match them. After all, there were many types of backpacks and hats in there, and the clothing given by brands was usually carefully designed.
As for the studio's holiday gifts, Zhou Xiao allocated funds for Jiang Langli to prepare them when she first started. Besides the requisite rice dumpling gift boxes (yes, everyone gets to enjoy them), there were also mugwort bags, gift cards, silk scarves, and more. The key goal was to create a simple, efficient, and festive atmosphere.
Just as Zhou Xiao was busy packing up for the holiday, a gift package that she had never expected and that should not have appeared at this stage was on the way.
…
Back to a few days ago, on the set of Interweaving, Ji Shao took out a stack of postcards from the drawer of the RV during his free time. In just a few moments, the postcards were already filled with greetings.
"Come for lunch." Wearing the bright red apron with the logo printed on it that came with the peanut oil purchase, Song Xiao held a plate of fat-reducing meal in each hand and brought it to Ji Shao with brisk steps.
Although Ji Shao is currently filming as an actor, he is also an idol at the same time. Maintaining a good face and figure without affecting the filming of the crew is the greatest respect for fans.
Haven't you seen how many idols become arrogant and inflated after joining the group? Lack of self-control is the beginning of their decline. To avoid this from happening, ever since Song Xiao joined the group, he and Chen Shenju have often taken turns cooking for Ji Shao.
But even cooking is actually pretty simple. They're all boiled dishes, and no matter how you cook them, they won't taste any better. Similarly, as long as they're not burnt, they won't taste bad either.
Although the fat-loss recipes were similar, Ji Shao's was taught by Senior Wen from the same group. Although it was a bit harsh, the effect was sufficient.
At the table, Ji Shao smelled the familiar smell of boiled broccoli, his eyebrows twitching violently. Even the marker in his hand, which was about to sign his name, paused. If it weren't for the other smell in the RV, he would have suspected that his entire body reeked of boiled vegetables.
"How about me and Lao Chen eat this with you?" Song Xiao looked at Ji Shao's expression and couldn't bear to watch. When he was a young assistant in Xincheng, which artist he worked with didn't eat and drink to excess every day?
Even worse, even shooting for a second- or third-tier magazine can cost upwards of 100,000 yuan per day. And while these expenses are ostensibly for the entire artist team, they actually go into the pockets of the artist and their manager. It's nothing like Ji Shao, who's clearly a top star, but actually lives on a simple diet.
Those male artists who have achieved horizontal development in the later stages of filming dramas, in addition to physiological obesity caused by drugs, all of this is due to eating too much on the set. But even so, there are still countless doting fans.
"No, this is a special case for me, you still have to eat normally." Ji Shao stopped him immediately. He knew that if he didn't refuse, Song Xiao would definitely drag Chen Shenju to eat "fodder" with him afterwards.
Seeing Ji Shao's refusal without hesitation, Song Xiao didn't say much. He pushed the fried salmon in front of him, looked at the written postcard on the table, and then looked at the one in Ji Shao's hand.
"The first one is for the fan club, and the second one is for Teacher Zhou Xiao..." Song Xiao nodded inwardly as he read. It was truly thoughtful of him to think of writing postcards to these two pillars of the fandom first.
While "The Unparalleled General" was airing, Huayao couldn't help but ask Ji Shao if he planned to renew his contract. The answer was not surprising, but Ji Shao finally proposed that he take Chen Shenju with him.
Song Xiao felt so irritated listening to Chen Shenju's vivid retelling that he almost clenched his fists. But Old Chen was still showing off, intentionally or not, which made him look like he deserved a beating.
Although Huayao was dissatisfied, due to the popularity of New Town and "The Unparalleled General," they officially relented and offered their blessing to Ji Shao for the first time. Of course, this was also because they had already made up their minds, knowing that the renewal negotiations would have to be repeated eight more times. Perhaps the final result would be the same rejection.
After laying all their cards bare with Huayao, Xincheng had already begun preparing a personal studio for Ji Shao. Although the disbanding was still some time away, Feng Ruogu, who was in the rear, had been busy recently in order to be able to directly announce the establishment of Ji Shao's personal studio on the day of the disbanding.
The postcards Ji Shao writes are his personal holiday gifts, sent to fans, seniors, and brands he's collaborated with, demonstrating his "attitude."
Dragon Boat Festival gifts are usually not very heavy, so Zhou Xiao, who was busy unpacking the express delivery later, naturally did not realize that the package sent by Huayao was missing the products personally endorsed by Ji Shao.
Watching the steam rising from the plate, Song Xiao reached out to take the paper and pen from Ji Shao's hand. Following Ji Shao made him feel at ease, but the peace of mind he felt in his career was nothing compared to the peace of mind he felt about his health.
Ji Shao showed no sign of anger when Song Xiao took the marker from him. He conveniently changed his grip from the pen to chopsticks, turned his head to look at Song Xiao, who was bringing out a large basin of seafood like salt-and-pepper mantis shrimp and steamed swimming crab from the insulated box, and asked, "Where's Brother Chen? Why isn't he here at dinner time?"
Song Xiao replied as he unpacked his chopsticks, "He went to look at some holiday gift packaging. I heard there's an interesting offline store right near the film and television city."
Ji Shao nodded thoughtfully, and calmly put the boiled zucchini into his mouth, letting the fresh aroma of seafood echo through the RV. But why did his fist suddenly feel itchy?
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