Chapter 427 Career Line
Pengcheng Cultural Center Square.
"See you next time, Xiaoxiao!"
Dong Xiaoyu and Li Mo, who were lucky enough to get a ride with the same load, squeezed in front of the right window and said goodbye to Zhou Xiao, who was standing outside and waving at them with a smile.
Zhou Xiao watched Dong Xiaoyu, who was accompanied by Li Mo and was blowing kisses at her, and her smile grew even brighter. She waited until the rear of the car disappeared from her sight before she fished her phone out of her pocket and looked down at the "ding dong" sound that had just gone off.
Her personal mobile phone number is set up so that only friends in her address book can call and send text messages. If she doesn't set it up, salesmen from photography equipment suppliers, marketing companies, etc. will call her all day long and ask her if she would consider cooperating with their company.
After enduring a relatively short period of torture, she was now completely at peace. So every time there was news, Zhou Xiao would take a good look at it.
For seniors like Fang Xi and Mei Yi, texting and phone calls were used much more frequently than voice and video calls on messaging apps. Because he had Fang Xi's phone number, Zhou Xiao unsurprisingly saw the message when he opened it.
"Hmm...Maihe Coffee." Zhou Xiao's eyes wandered around the cultural center, and finally saw a small sign on the right side of the exit.
The text message from Fangxi contained the address of a 24-hour coffee shop. Many places would be closed at this hour. Of course, if you're not looking for a quieter environment, the nearby McDonald's might be a good option.
McDonald's is right on the way to the coffee shop. Zhou Xiao glanced at it casually when passing by and was attracted by the banners hanging on the transparent glass on both sides of the store door.
On the left is the banner that read "When will Ji Shao come home with me?" that Cheese and A Meng had hung when Zhou Xiao met them. The one on the right was clearly made by McDonald's after Ji Shao won the award.
"Who else doesn't know? My spokesperson won the Best Actor Award!"
Very good! The red and gold color scheme perfectly complements McDonald's logo. Coupled with the smug tone, Zhou Xiao felt that if the banner were longer, they would probably be able to include both of Ji Shao's awards.
I don't know how Cheese and the store came to an agreement to hang the banner directly on the glass window. Perhaps the inspiration for the new custom banner also came from this?
Standing there, he listened to the restaurant's "Spring Breeze" song, then thought about the system notification chime that sounded when Ji Shao won the award. Zhou Xiao felt that the highlight of the day wasn't just the Huacai Awards, but also the fact that the system was once again churning out gold coins.
Perhaps even the system hadn't anticipated this, that Ji Shao would take home two trophies in his first attempt at an award? Zhou Xiao's mood brightened whenever he thought of this. Even as he passed McDonald's, his steps became much lighter.
…
Inside the cafe.
Fang Xi arrived more than ten minutes earlier than the agreed time. After weighing the pros and cons, she finally decided to communicate in batches. Although it would be more efficient to gather everyone together to talk, the premise of efficiency is that the participants can make their own decisions.
This point is directed at Ji Shao.
The biggest variable at tonight's Huacai Awards is definitely Ji Shao, who won two awards in one fell swoop and became one of the rare double-yolk actor in the history of Huacai Awards along with Huang Xiang.
Besides that, Ji Shao's dual agency contracts and the TV series he was currently filming all spoke volumes about his limited autonomy. While film preparations took a long time, in this case, it was clearly better to discuss things in private.
The date with Ji Shao was also set, for tomorrow. Self-employed people were always easier to talk to than those burdened by two brokerage contracts. Unlike Fang Xi's solo visit to Zhou Xiao tonight, tomorrow would definitely be a big event.
The coffee shop under the night sky was still a little deserted. Although the cultural center had just held an awards ceremony today, it was not so lively at this point because a large number of artists left early.
Fang Xi's figure was hidden behind a large green plant in the room. In this quiet space, a few pages of a script lay open on the square walnut table. The thin volume contained a complete outline of the whole story. However, from frequent flipping, the lower right corner of the paper had obvious marks.
There was a crisp "ding" sound, the result of Fang Xi's returning coffee cup colliding with the cup holder. The rich, fragrant black coffee swayed slightly at the slight collision, momentarily distracting her. Only when a vague outline was reflected on the surface of the coffee did Fang Xi subconsciously look up.
"Zhou Xiao is here." Her voice was gentle and kind.
"Teacher Fang, good evening." Zhou Xiao gently pulled open the chair opposite Fang Xi and placed his backpack on the chair next to him. Then he looked into Fang Xi's gentle eyes and said with a smile, "I'm sorry, I'm a little late."
Fang Xi smiled and shook his head, then casually pulled out a menu from the wall-mounted bookshelf and pushed it to Zhou Xiao. "I came here early, so you're not late. Check out what you want to drink. This is a shop opened by a friend, and the food is good, but..."
"It's just that they've been losing money all the time," Zhou Xiao blinked, then continued Fang Xi's words. Everyone she knew, including Li Ruoshi, who opened a coffee shop in Huashang Times Square, also lost money in the beginning.
It was only due to the initial buzz surrounding the support that the other shop became an internet sensation in the Chinese business district, and only then did it gradually turn a profit. As for the other small shops specializing in quality products, they all seem to be operating at a loss. However, those who open such shops usually do so as a pastime, and income naturally flows naturally.
"Hahaha" Fang Xi was amused by Zhou Xiao's teasing. Seeing that the other party had no intention of ordering a drink, he handed over the simplified version of the script in his hand.
"This is?"
Zhou Xiao took the thin booklet in both hands. The cover was neatly printed with the words "Movie Script Outline" in Song font. Flipping it open, he saw the words "Script·Episode 1".
The script was simple, unadorned, and devoid of any gimmicks, much like Director Fang himself—steady and reserved. But Zhou Xiao knew that with a little publicity within the industry, it would garner countless fans. It had only been two months since "Letters from Time and Space" went to press.
As a former Party B, Zhou Xiao's first reaction was: How could this script not even have a table of contents or page numbers? If this were sent to Party A, it would definitely be rejected in minutes.
Zhou Xiao rubbed her goosebumps caused by memories, and came back to her senses. She looked up at Fang Xi, who had been smiling at her from beginning to end. The tacit understanding between them told her that what she was thinking at the moment was exactly the purpose of the other party asking her out today.
"Director Fang, do you want me to shoot this script?" Zhou Xiao asked directly. She had read the full script from Tong Yin while filming the set of "Flowering Journey." However, Director Fang hadn't discussed the plot with her, let alone the outline.
Fang Xi's brows relaxed. She tapped the table with one hand and said excitedly, "Xiao Zhou, I'm going to open a movie. Do you want to come?"
"Back when we were in Hong Kong, I wanted to catch you to make a movie for me." Fang Xi's tone changed from teasing to seriousness. "Don't rush to answer, read the script first."
Zhou Xiao nodded and began to carefully flip through the script, just like Fang Xi had done before. But the moment her fingertips touched the paper again, she began to tremble slightly. It seemed as if something would be different after tonight.
Watching Zhou Xiao reading intently, Fang Xi raised her chin and waved to the waiter who had arrived late, ready to ask the new customer if they wanted anything. After confirming that the waiter wouldn't disturb them, she pulled a rolled-up copy of the same script from her bag.
Yes, Fang Xi had brought two scripts with her. Hers seemed slightly thicker than the previous one. As the air conditioner whirred, the two of them sat at the coffee table, each earnestly reading their scripts.
After a while.
The thinner copy of the script had been turned to the last page. Zhou Xiao closed the last page and looked up at Fang Xi, who was still immersed in reading and occasionally writing or drawing with a pen.
Even though she was the one invited to read the script, she was still immersed in it. This is the reputation and professionalism of director Fang Xi in the industry. During every script reading before filming, she requires the actors to carefully chew on the lines of the scene, every word in the lines, and every emotion contained in the words.
Perhaps it is precisely for this reason that "Time and Space Letters," with its large cast of amateurs and supporting veteran actors, can bring endless surprises to the audience. Even the actors in "Flower Walk," when faced with similar roles in their acting careers, always perform flawlessly.
Zhou Xiao understood that this was because some people's talent only reached that point. However, under Director Fang's rote instruction, they had already been stereotyped as playing similar roles, unless they could make a breakthrough in the future, which was extremely difficult.
"Have you finished reading it? How was it?" While Zhou Xiao was thinking, Fang Xi, who had stopped writing, soon found Zhou Xiao who had closed the script.
Judging from the plot alone, the film without a title is a comedy that Fang Xi has always excelled in. However, just as life is always a mixture of joy and sorrow, the film also has contrasts that run through the main plot.
However, the script only had a few short sections, and it didn't constitute a complete story at all. Zhou Xiao had even heard rumors that fans had complained about the production team on behalf of the original cast, claiming that only half of the script was written before filming began, and that they had simply added a poorly written ending after filming began.
Why does it feel like there's something malicious in Director Fang's smile right now? Zhou Xiao complained in his heart.
"Teacher Fang, then in what capacity do I join your team?"
"Director of Group B! I'm the chief director and producer of the movie you're watching now. Come to my crew, Xiao Zhou, and I'll teach you how to direct!" Fang Xi said seriously, "The role of Group B depends on me. If you meet my requirements in the subsequent filming, I will let you shoot more in-depth content."
"The script I have in my hand is the latest version that the screenwriter has rushed to compile. The subsequent plot is also being continuously improved. The investor is Blueberry Group." Fang Xi paused for a moment, "But I have absolute control. This is written in the contract."
"So, will you join?"
[Ding! Host branch detected, please accept the invitation to shoot the first movie (0/1)]
[If the host accepts the invitation to film a movie, he can redeem an additional hour of [Photography Training Room] with 10 points of recognition every day]
Wow! Even the system, which hadn't issued any tasks in a while, joined in the fun. Zhou Xiao naturally had no hesitation about this new challenge.
As for the photography studio, after confirming that Zhang Hongyu would be coming to the photography base with her family, they could ensure that even if she went to shoot a movie, there would be someone to fill in the gaps during the period.
Zhou Xiao was thinking about how to arrange the photography base, while Fang Xi, who had finally put his mind at ease, had already leisurely put away the script.
"Xiao Zhou."
"Teacher Fang, what's wrong?"
"You should take a good rest during this time. We're not in a hurry," Fang Xi said cheerfully. "I have an appointment tomorrow to talk about the male lead. By the way, do you want to come?"
“…”
Zhou Xiao was silent. It seemed Director Fang had just painted a rosy picture for him. But why did he feel so relieved?
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