Calling them imitations of ancient architecture is an exaggeration.
Those so-called palaces and pavilions were so new they were almost blinding; the smell of paint seemed to have lingered, and the wood looked rather thin.
The details are rough, and it's obvious at a glance that it was a hastily made temporary set.
The entire venue exuded an indescribable sense of "cheapness" and "rush."
Zhou Yang and Xu Yao exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of suspicion in each other's eyes.
No way...
Zhou Yang thought to himself, "This place... doesn't look like a proper TV drama filming crew at all."
It looks more like a low-budget web series, or even a temporary venue for shooting cheesy short videos?
"Director Lin, is this... the film crew?"
Xu Yao couldn't help but ask in a low voice, her tone clearly uncertain.
Lin Chuan seemed to sense their doubts, chuckled, rubbed his hands together, and quickly explained:
"Ahem, well, our production team is just starting out, and a lot of things are still in the preparation stage. The sets have just been built, and we haven't officially started filming yet."
He pointed to the tin shed: "This is the photography studio. All the equipment is inside. I brought you here today mainly to familiarize you with the environment and get to know the people."
"Oh, by the way, Mr. Zhou, I'll need you to show off your skills later and cook a couple of dishes, as a kind of... well, audition! After all, you're playing a royal chef, so you need to have some real skills, right?"
His explanation seemed to make some sense, but Zhou Yang and Xu Yao's doubts were not completely dispelled.
This place is really too shabby.
Just then, a commotion arose in the distance.
"Director! Director! We're back!"
A group of young people ran towards them, laughing and joking.
Leading the group were a man and a woman, who looked to be in their early twenties. The man was sunny and handsome, while the woman was pure and lovely. They were both dressed in modern casual wear, and their faces radiated youthful vitality.
Lin Chuan's eyes lit up, and he quickly waved before enthusiastically introducing Zhou Yang and Xu Yao.
"Come, come, perfect timing! Let me introduce you! This is our male lead, Zhao Si! And this is the female lead, Lin Yue!"
"These two are Zhou Yang (male, number five) and Xu Yao (female, number three). You guys come and say hello!"
Zhao Si and Lin Yue immediately greeted Zhou Yang and Xu Yao warmly.
"Hello, Brother Zhou Yang! Hello, Sister Xu Yao! I'm Zhao Si!"
"Hello Yang-ge, hello Yao-yao-jie! I'm Lin Yue! Please take care of me in the future!"
The two smiled brightly and were very humble and polite.
However, looking at the two handsome men and beautiful women in front of him, Zhou Yang felt that something was amiss.
Their eyes were so clear, almost without any impurities, carrying a kind of innocent and youthful vigor.
"They...are they still university students?"
Zhou Yang couldn't help but look at Lin Chuan and tentatively asked a question.
Upon hearing this, Lin Chuan laughed heartily and patted Zhao Si on the shoulder: "Boss Zhou has a good eye, you guessed right!"
"Zhao Si is my nephew, and Lin Yue is my niece. They are both senior students in the acting department of the Central Academy of Drama."
"I'm about to graduate, and the job market is tough right now. Even good talents can't find good production teams. As their uncle, I used to study directing too."
"Why not just build a team, set up our own production crew, and give them a chance? It's a way to keep the profits within the family!"
Zhou Yang: "..."
Xu Yao: "..."
Both of them twitched slightly at the corners of their mouths, as if black lines were sliding down their foreheads.
Good heavens!
After all that fuss, it turns out this isn't a proper film crew at all; it's just a makeshift, family-run operation!
The director is a relative, the lead actor is a relative, can this drama be reliable?
Will this payment actually be made?
Zhou Yang felt a thousand complaints welling up inside him, as if he had been completely fooled.
Xu Yao was also completely bewildered and speechless, her eyes filled with a questioning look as she looked at Zhou Yang: "Have we been tricked?"
The two exchanged a glance and almost instantly reached an understanding—this place is not safe to stay any longer, let's get out of here!
Lin Chuan was an extremely shrewd person; he could tell what the two were thinking just by looking at their expressions and eye contact.
His heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly stepped forward, as if afraid they would run away, and grabbed Zhou Yang's arm.
"Hey, Mr. Zhou, Ms. Xu, don't think we're unreliable just because our stall is small!"
Lin Chuan forced a fawning smile and explained hastily.
"We're small but perfectly formed. The script is excellent, and although the team is new, they're all highly skilled! Most importantly..."
He puffed out his chest, lowered his voice, and said with a strange sense of pride, "Our Lin family is rich!"
"I can't speak for anything else, but with your two salaries, that's just a drop in the bucket. Not a penny less! I, Lin Chuan, may be down on my luck right now, but I keep my word!"
Zhou Yang raised an eyebrow, looking at Lin Chuan's confident expression, then at Zhao Si and Lin Yue, who looked expectant and nervous, and Xu Yao, who was also somewhat apprehensive.
Ten thousand a day...
Oh well, since we're already here, let's just treat it as an experience.
Zhou Yang sighed inwardly, but finally nodded: "Alright, Director Lin, since you've put it that way, then let's...give it a try."
Seeing that Zhou Yang had relented, Xu Yao had no choice but to nod as well, though she was still feeling very uneasy.
Driven by the "high salary" of 10,000 yuan a day, the two finally made their decision.
They stayed temporarily in this seemingly unreliable "makeshift" production crew.
"Come, come, Mr. Zhou, this is the 'Royal Kitchen,' which is also where you'll be filming in the future. Why don't you cook a couple of dishes first, and we'll get a feel for filming!"
Lin Chuan enthusiastically pushed Zhou Yang into a room with a kitchen layout, and said with a grin.
Zhou Yang: "..."
He looked at the stove, where fresh pork, duck, vegetables, and various seasonings were readily available.
"Ah, Director Lin, don't you have a chef on set?"
Lin Chuan shook his head. "No."
Zhou Yang's eyes widened: "Do you provide boxed lunches?"
Lin Chuan, slightly guilty, stammered, "I...I'll give it to you!"
He quickly regained his composure, straightened his back, and said, "The boxed lunches will definitely be distributed, but now it's a test of whether you can capture the camera while cooking. Hurry up and cook a few more dishes so I can see the effect."
Zhou Yang: "..."
He took a deep breath, suppressing his doubts.
Why does he always feel like he's been scammed?
Was he there to film a movie, or was he tricked into coming to cook for free?
Zhou Yang couldn't understand it, so he tied on his apron and reached for the spatula.
Since we're here, let's make the best of it and treat it as a special challenge.
"Ahem! Don't look at the camera while acting, just treat it like you're cooking normally..."
Lin Chuan excitedly gave instructions from the side.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
