"Here you go." The finance staff counted out fifteen red bills and handed them to Shang Yechu.
The actor originally slated to play Manager Tian was a mid-level featured extra, earning two thousand yuan. Although Shang Yechu was somewhat of a replacement, his experience couldn't surpass that of the veteran actors, so paying him one thousand five hundred was already quite good.
He went from being an extra to a mid-level featured actor in just one day—it was like a rocket rising to fame.
Shang Yechu arrived late, and there were hardly any people left in the finance department. The finance staff chatted with Shang Yechu while playing on their phones, saying, "Fewer people are accepting cash these days; WeChat Pay is all the rage now."
Shang Yechu smiled and agreed, "Then it seems I also need to keep up with the times."
In two years, it won't just be "WeChat is popular," it will be "you can't do anything without WeChat."
Suddenly remembering something, the finance staff counted out a red bill and a green bill and handed them to Shang Yechu.
"I almost forgot. The male lead's agent personally paid out of his own pocket to give you and Lao Song (the original actor for Manager Tian) an extra 10% commission. Here you go."
This is hush money. Shang Yechu and Lao Song have to keep quiet after receiving the money, and they're not allowed to reveal that Jiang Zhiyuan changed the actor on the spot today. But even if they didn't pay a cent, Shang Yechu and Lao Song would still keep quiet. In the entertainment industry, there's only one standard for judging right and wrong: status. As long as they're not out of their minds, these young actors won't say anything reckless.
Adding the 1,500 from before, that makes 1,650 yuan. For Jiang Zhiyuan and his agent, that amount wouldn't even buy a single loose thread on a shoe. But for Shang Yechu, it's a huge sum.
Shang Yechu put the money in his pocket, thanked the finance staff, and left the film crew.
-----
Shang Yechu found a quiet corner and sat down on a bench. The iron bench was warmed by the afterglow of the sun and was quite comfortable to sit on.
Shang Yechu took out a stack of banknotes from a hidden pocket in his schoolbag. The denominations ranged from one yuan to one hundred yuan, and after counting them, there were about 1,200 yuan.
This was all the savings Shang Yechu had accumulated in the two months since her rebirth. Being an extra wasn't something she could do every day, and Shang Yechu also had to eat and drink excessively to gain weight, spending more money than the average person.
One mid-level guest actor job earned Shang Yechu back the money he had earned from two months of hard work.
Shang Yechu silently began planning what to do with the 2,800 yuan. First, she definitely needed to buy a smartphone; these days, you can't get by without one. Second, she needed to buy some winter clothes; September was almost here, and winter would be here in the blink of an eye. She also needed to buy cosmetics—but for auditions without makeup, Shang Yechu wasn't quite confident enough yet.
Money, money, money, money! Spending money is like water flowing away, making money is like pulling silk from a cocoon.
Shang Yechu sighed and put the money into the hidden pocket of her schoolbag.
Her knee hurt even more than before. The rough fabric of her jeans chafed against the injury on her knee, and Shang Yechu pulled up the fabric of her jeans to try to reduce the friction.
I also need to buy some plasters... Shang Yechu thought silently.
After her rebirth, Shang Yechu became much more proactive, doing whatever she wanted immediately. After resting for a while, she prepared to go buy a cell phone.
It was already evening, and the fiery clouds on the horizon were magnificent, like blood. Shang Yechu indulged himself for a while, greedily admiring the sky and the afterglow. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly noticed a small black dot in the distance.
Shang Yechu blinked, and now she could see clearly that it wasn't a small black dot, but a person.
The person appeared to be standing near Yuyin Lake—the largest artificial lake in Hengshi, teeming with tourists on holidays. Because the lake is very close to Hengshi Film City, artists often come to the lake to practice their voices, lines, or singing, hence the name.
It's a weekday, and it's rush hour, so there aren't many people around Yuyin Lake. At least for now, there's only that tiny black dot standing by the lake.
Shang Yechu initially thought the other person was a singer or something, but upon closer inspection, her eyelids twitched.
That person wasn't standing on the lakeside; he had clearly walked into the lake!
Shang Yechu quickly grabbed her schoolbag and rushed over!
The man in the lake was still in the shallow water. He wasn't moving fast, and his gait was unsteady, as if he were sleepwalking. But Shang Yechu was too far away to stop him before he entered the deep water.
Shang Yechu didn't shout; she simply sprinted forward silently. Firstly, there was no one closer than her around. Secondly, she was afraid that shouting would only spur the other person to quicken their pace.
Her health was terrible. Although she had lost weight, she hadn't been exercising more. After running only a few dozen steps, Shang Yechu's throat and lungs felt like they were being pierced by shards of glass. Every breath was torture.
Shang Yechu had to stop. If only she had a cell phone! If only she had a cell phone, she could call the staff at the attraction, or even the film studio, and ask for help. —Damn it! Whether she could save this suicidal guy today or not, she absolutely had to buy a cell phone!
Shang Yechu shouted, "System! System!"
103 remained silent, as if he were dead.
Shang Yechu called out again, "103! 103!"
There's still no movement on 103.
Shang Yechu quickly realized that, besides the pain in her lungs, she also had a headache, which was caused by anger.
Shang Yechu had no choice but to say, "Alright! I love listening to you talk, I love it to bits! Talk as much as you want from now on—phew—okay! Get out here now!"
103 finally arrived belatedly: "What is it?"
Shang Yechu said, "Adrenaline—or some other hormone—helps me get to the lake faster."
“You have no more weight to exchange, and I have no obligation to help you for someone else’s life.” 103’s tone was flat, exuding a strong sense of inhumanity.
Shang Ye could tell that it genuinely didn't think the death of someone was a big deal.
Shang Yechu's eyes turned cold. She wasn't some saint, but compared to System 103's indifference as others died before their eyes, she felt like she was bathed in holy light.
The two men stood in silent confrontation for more than ten seconds. Shang Yechu glanced at Yuyin Lake, where the water had already reached the man's chest.
Shang Yechu suddenly said, "There are surveillance cameras around here."
"Hmm?" 103's tone finally showed a hint of doubt.
Shang Yechu spoke quickly, interspersed with a few breaths: "When you first met me, you said the words 'main quest.' I never asked you what that meant."
“I thought you’d forgotten,” 103 said coldly.
“I haven’t forgotten,” Shang Yechu said quickly. “Not only have I not forgotten, but I also know that you absolutely do not want it to fail. Because you are a perfectionist and do not want to leave a record of a failed mission.”
"What does this have to do with our current conversation?" 103 asked casually.
“There are surveillance cameras nearby. If I stand by and watch that person try to commit suicide right now, and someone dies—it wouldn’t be illegal, but it would get me into serious trouble. Once I gain some fame, maybe one day people will bring this up and say, ‘Look, that’s Shang Yechu, the one who stood by and watched someone die!’”
Without waiting for 103's reply, Shang Yechu quickly continued, "You came to me, exchanging intelligence and beauty, and even showing concern for my health. These are all positive forms of help."
"Given your attitude towards me, this couldn't possibly be out of kindness, it could only be for your mission—therefore, I don't think you'd stand by and watch me get unnecessarily tainted, right?"
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