Chapter 407: The Fertilizer Sack “God of War,” An Epic-Level Scam!
Heaven smiled upon them, or perhaps, Heaven also wanted to watch the show.
The forecasted light drizzle had suddenly transformed into a torrential downpour.
“Perfect! This lighting, this texture! Even the heavens are helping us!”
Gu Zhiyuan, wearing a raincoat, held a megaphone in his hand.
He refused the Lighting Team’s supplemental lighting, insisting on using nature’s own ferocity to set the atmosphere.
This was a key scene from the script of the charity short film, “Finding Perseverance in the Ordinary”.
The theme was simple: Chen San goes for a job interview and encounters heavy rain.
Little Zhang from the Props Team jogged over and handed Jiang Ci an umbrella.
It was a black umbrella, deliberately weathered to look old.
“Teacher Jiang, here you go.” Little Zhang wiped the rain from his face. “Director Gu said this umbrella’s shabbiness has a sense of vicissitude.”
Jiang Ci was wearing that white shirt with the stretched-out collar,
and a pair of suit pants he’d picked up from a flea market.
The previous pair that had split open, revealing his lucky red underpants, had already been honorably retired.
He took the umbrella and weighed it in his hand.
“This is great.” Jiang Ci shook his head.
“Huh?” Little Zhang was stunned. “This is great? It leaks.”
“For Chen San, this is a luxury item.”
Jiang Ci tossed the umbrella back to Little Zhang and pointed at the curtain of rain:
“The cheapest folding umbrella at a street stall costs at least fifteen yuan. All of Chen San’s worldly possessions combined aren’t enough to buy half of one.”
“A real bottom-rung job seeker, in this kind of wretched weather, how could he bear to buy an umbrella?”
Jiang Ci turned and walked to a pile of garbage by the roadside.
He rummaged through it.
A few seconds later, he pulled out a urea fertilizer bag.
Jiang Ci placed the plastic bag over his head, the two handles perfectly hooking over his ears.
“This one.” Jiang Ci gave an OK sign towards the monitor. “Free, windproof, and durable.”
Behind the monitor, Song Mei (playing Sister Juan) took off her glasses and wiped the fog from the lenses.
“This kid…” Song Mei murmured softly. “He’s truly living as Chen San.”
Gu Zhiyuan’s fervor surged straight to his brain.
“All departments, attention!”
“Scene 402, exterior, rainstorm dash! Action!”
At the command,
Jiang Ci charged into the rain curtain.
He ran urgently.
His body leaned forward, neck tucked in, hands tightly protecting the resume in his arms.
The camera on the tracks moved swiftly, trying to capture the expression on his face.
“Faster! Even faster!”
Gu Zhiyuan roared from behind the monitor.
Jiang Ci couldn’t hear him.
His ears were filled with the howling wind and the pounding rain.
Ahead was a sharp turn.
It was a dead corner in an old alleyway, perpetually untouched by sunlight.
The flagstone pavement was covered in a greasy layer of moss.
Drenched by the heavy rain, this spot was slipperier than an oiled ice rink.
Jiang Ci rushed towards it.
His speed was too high, his momentum too great.
When his left foot landed on that flagstone, Jiang Ci’s heart dropped.
It’s over.
There was no chance to adjust his center of gravity.
“Ssshhh-liu—”
His foot slipped, his entire body lost balance in mid-air,
feet lifting off the ground, body tilting backwards, he fell squarely on his back.
“THUD!!!”
Even amidst the chaotic roar of the rainstorm, the sound of flesh impacting stone was clear enough to set teeth on edge.
Jiang Ci crashed heavily into the muddy water.
The Staff Members on set gasped in shock,
the Assistant Director was so startled he almost rushed forward to yell ‘cut’.
“Don’t move!!”
Gu Zhiyuan grabbed the Assistant Director’s shoulder. “Don’t call cut! He’s in character!”
In the muddy water.
Jiang Ci’s first reaction wasn’t to rub his butt.
He lay prone on the ground, covered in mud.
His trembling hand first felt for the top of his head.
He was checking that red and blue plastic bag.
It was his only “rain gear”, his last shred of dignity.
He felt it.
The bag was still there, not torn.
Jiang Ci let out a sigh of relief, his tense shoulders slumping.
Then, he tried to get up.
His hands pushed against the ground, exerting force.
His legs gave way, “Plop”, he knelt back into the muddy water.
This kneeling happened to face the camera.
Which meant facing the non-existent “Interviewers” in the scene.
Rainwater streamed down the edge of the plastic bag, flowing into his eyes, stinging painfully.
Jiang Ci wiped his face.
His face was covered in black muddy water, the more he wiped, the dirtier it became.
He looked at the camera.
The corner of his mouth twitched a few times, forcing out a smile.
“Heh…”
“Sorry about that…”
He pointed at his leg, then pointed at the pouring rain.
“The road’s slippery.”
“Giving you… a grand salute.”
After speaking, he placed both hands on the ground and actually kowtowed once towards the camera.
Behind the monitor.
Song Mei covered her mouth.
She knew this wasn’t in the script.
The script said: Chen San falls, gets up, and continues running.
“Cut…”
Gu Zhiyuan’s voice was trembling.
He couldn’t bear to shout it loudly.
“It’s a wrap!!”
With that command, the set erupted.
“Quick! Medical Team!”
“Stretcher! Get the stretcher!”
A crowd swarmed forward.
Chen Yi (playing Liu Piaopiao) charged at the front.
She wasn’t even wearing a raincoat; her Sequined Dress was soaked through, clinging tightly to her body.
“Jiang Ci! You son of a bitch!”
Chen Yi rushed to Jiang Ci’s side, pushed away the set assistant who was trying to help him up, and crouched down herself.
She looked at Jiang Ci’s pale face, her hands trembling.
“Are you stupid? Huh? You really fell?” Chen Yi yelled.
Jiang Ci lay on the Stretcher, grimacing.
He had his Body of Steel skill; honestly, he felt no pain at all.
But he still had to act like he did.
“Don’t… don’t curse me.”
“That fall just now…” Jiang Ci struggled to look back at Gu Zhiyuan. “Director Gu, was it cool?”
Gu Zhiyuan wiped the rain from his face and gave a thumbs up: “Cool! Cool as hell!”
…
Timeline in the script: One month later.
“The Unknown” Film Crew hadn’t Wrapped yet, but that charity short film, “Finding Perseverance in the Ordinary”, was released first.
And this short film stirred up a tidal wave on the internet.
The direction of public opinion completely shifted.
The voices that had once mocked Chen San as “stubborn”, “desperate for fame” vanished without a trace.
Someone dug up videos of Chen San’s past work as a cannon fodder extra.
Playing a Corpse and researching eighteen ways to die, called a lunatic;
Playing an extra and writing character profiles, mocked for going overboard;
Saving money by eating moldy dried sweet potatoes, accused of putting on a show.
And now, these former “jokes” had all turned into glittering “medals”.
【This is what a real actor is! This is an actor who gives his life to the role!】
【@Lu Ming, come out and take your beating! Look at how others act!】
【This isn’t acting, this is life itself.】
…
Filming continued.
Film Crew, restroom.
Jiang Ci lay face down on a massage table. Chen Yi was holding a bottle of medicated oil, mercilessly rubbing it into the small of his back.
“Hiss— Gently! Are you slaughtering a pig?” Jiang Ci cried out.
“Endure it!” Chen Yi pressed harder. “Serves you right for showing off! For not wearing protective gear!”
Even as she scolded him, her movements were meticulous.
That warm sensation seeped through his skin, alleviating the bone-deep ache.
“Sister Piaopiao.” Jiang Ci lay there, chin resting on the pillow, looking out the window.
The rain had stopped.
A rainbow arched over Yingshi City, so dazzling it felt unreal.
“Tell me, have I made it big?” Jiang Ci asked.
Chen Yi’s movements paused.
She looked at her phone, at the overwhelming flood of praise, at the name “Chen San”.
“You’ve made it.” Chen Yi said softly. “Red-hot and then some.”
“Then…” Jiang Ci chuckled. “Can I get an extra chicken leg in my boxed lunch tonight? Preferably Orlean-flavored.”
Chen Yi: ”…”
“Is that all you care about?” Chen Yi smacked him on the back, annoyed. “Can’t you think bigger?”
“Bigger?”
Jiang Ci thought about it.
“Then… two chicken legs?”
Just then,
the restroom door opened.
Song Mei, playing Sister Juan, walked in holding an envelope.
Song Mei was beaming, a triumphant smile.
“Forget about chicken legs.”
Song Mei tossed the envelope onto Jiang Ci’s back. “Look at this.”
Jiang Ci twisted his neck with effort, reaching for the envelope with his hand.
He opened it.
Inside was an invitation.
【We sincerely invite Mr. Chen San to attend the 32nd Capital International Film Festival Awards Ceremony.】
【Nominated Award: Best Newcomer Award.】
Jiang Ci stared at the words.
His fingers gently traced over the two characters, “Chen San”.
“Well, well.”
Jiang Ci whistled, that sly, Chen San-esque glint appearing in his eyes again.
“Looks like I won’t need to crash the Red Carpet this time.”
He turned to look at Chen Yi, his gaze blazing.
“Piaopiao, get ready.”
“Ready for what?” Chen Yi felt a bit unnerved by his stare.
“Get ready to pick out a nice formal dress.” Jiang Ci grinned. “I said I’d take care of you…”
Chen Yi’s face flushed red. She shoved the bottle of medicated oil into his hand.
“Get lost!”
Sister Juan stood at the doorway, watching this scene, her smile deepening.