Chapter 2: Tsingtao Beer BBQ and the Crew

Lamb skewers, pork belly, chicken legs, chicken gizzards, mackerel, saury, lamb kidneys, oysters, enoki mushrooms, leeks, corn, eggplant...

Have a box of ice-cold Tsingtao beer. In this early summer, what food can be better than a barbecue?

Lin Yicheng and Wang Liming sat opposite each other, eating and chatting.

"Two cameras, one main and one secondary, just the two of us are enough. Now we're in need of lighting, scenery, sound recording, costumes and makeup, and logistics coordination. Do you have anyone reliable over there?"

Lin Yicheng poured a glass of wine for each of them and asked.

"As for recording, I know two people whose level is OK. Besides, we can dub them later, so the requirements don't have to be too high."

Wang Liming clinked his glasses with Lin Yicheng and continued:
"As for makeup, I know a girl who used to do makeup for weddings and advertising companies. She's quite good at it."

"As for the rest, it's hard to say. You know the behind-the-scenes stuff. If you haven't been with the group before, who knows how much rice you can eat?"

"Okay, then you go contact these three tomorrow and arrange a time for me to meet them as soon as possible. I'll figure out the rest. Here, eat a kidney. It won't taste good if it's cold." Lin Yicheng said as he handed a kidney to Wang Liming.

"Well, they are all juniors and seniors, nothing special, it should be fine, the price is not expensive."

Wang Liming nodded and asked, "I estimated today that if we want to film this drama, it will cost about one million yuan just for the pre-production. Is that okay for you?"

"Look at your ignorant look. Do you know how popular my friend's book is?"

Lin Yicheng was quite disdainful. The guy had no idea about the earning power of best-selling authors these days.

Wang Liming really didn’t know much about this, so he scratched his head and asked, “How many points do you authors usually get?”

While eating the skewers, Lin Yicheng said vaguely: "It depends on the person, your fame and sales, but it's usually around 6 to 10 points."

He didn't specify his royalties. After all, he was a little different from others.

……

As a brother, Wang Liming knew about Lin Yicheng's situation, and he started counting on his fingers.

"I remember the newspaper said that your book 'Soushen Ji' sold more than two million copies. I'll give you 20 yuan for each copy. You've written several books, so I'll give you 8 points. That's..."

Wang Liming fell silent as he was speaking.

Lin Yicheng just ate and drank without saying a word.

"Fuck!" After a while, Wang Liming suddenly slapped his thigh and shouted.

Everyone around looked over here. Wang Liming smiled apologetically and whispered, "You guys are still the best at making money!"

"Where's the cruelty?"

Lin Yicheng felt a little aggrieved. He worked so hard to code a book, but it was not even enough to make what Sister Shuangzi earned in a day.

"Isn't this cruel? The air conditioner is on and I'm smoking," Wang Liming gestured with a stick, "Just writing like that, I earn more than I do on TV series!"

"What nonsense! You only see the thief eating meat, but you don't see the thief being beaten." Lin Yicheng spat out a chicken bone, "I am considered to be a successful person. Those who are not successful have written dozens of kilograms of manuscript paper, and in the end they can only sell it to rag collectors. Besides, how many people are like me?"

"That's true. There are pyramids in every industry. In our industry, there are countless crews that have started production in recent years. How many of them can be broadcast and released?"

Wang Liming nodded in agreement, paused, and looked up again. "Why do you want to be a director? With your situation, you can at least be Wang Shuo, not to mention Qian Zhongshu? How many of those directors earn more than you?"

"Why?" Lin Yicheng pointed to the roadside, "Tell me, nationwide, who knows Wang Shuo more or who knows Lao Mouzi more?"

"Then it must be Lao Mouzi!"

"That's all, maybe one day I'll be able to compete with Zhang Yimou in movies."

"Okay! Based on what you said, I will work hard to see if I can be your Zhao Xiaoding!" Wang Liming raised his glass and said something he didn't even believe.

"Okay, if there's a chance tomorrow I'll take you to Cannes or something, and we can win an award too!"

……

Lin Yicheng laughed, but in his heart he was thinking that if he didn't change his plan, he might never stand on the podium in Cannes in his lifetime.

Lin Yicheng changed the subject and said, "Brothers, let's be clear about the accounts. I'll give you 3 yuan for this job. What do you think?"

"Okay, you decide." Wang Liming nodded. This price was already quite high for a newcomer like him.

Although Wang Liming's family is well-off, otherwise he would not be able to take up photography, but for a student like him, 3 yuan is already a huge sum of money.

The relationship is here, there's no need to say thank you, just work hard when the time comes.

"Who do you think should be the heroine?" Lin Yicheng suddenly asked.

Touching his chin, Wang Liming began to recall the script, thinking about the description of the heroine - a single-parent family with a complex and multifaceted personality. She was lively and active since childhood, helpful, had a strong sense of justice, and was willing to stand up for her friends. She had an optimistic and positive attitude, was tenacious and brave, and never backed down in the face of challenges.

"How about Liu Yifei? She's the right age, has great looks, and is our junior from the same school."

Wang Liming said this with great interest, and it was obvious that he had a great liking for this junior sister.

At the end of last year, the bearded version of "Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils" was broadcast. Wang Yuyan in the play was charming, cool and bright, with an unworldly temperament. I don't know how many men's soft spots were touched by her and she became their white moonlight from then on.

Lin Yicheng rolled his eyes at him, "You're overthinking it. Let's not talk about anything else. As far as I know, she's currently preparing to take down the bearded man's The Return of the Condor Heroes. How could she be interested in us?"

Sister Tianxian is arrogant and proud, and her mother Liu Xiaoli is even more strong-willed.

Lin Yicheng didn't want to have any contact with this fairy sister who was younger than him but in the same grade as him, so he decided to forget it.

"Uh," Wang Liming was stuck, thought for a moment, and said, "Where's Senior Sister Dong Xuan?"

Lin Yicheng recalled Dong Xuan's appearance, frowned, and said uncertainly: "I remember she was born in 79, right? She's 25 this year, it's a bit outrageous for her to play a high school student."

"That's right. Senior Sister Dong's figure and temperament are a bit too stunning." Wang Liming also felt that his choice was unreliable.

"How about Huang Shengyi? She also played a student in the movie Red Apple Paradise."

Lin Yicheng didn't say anything. He was trying to recall the exact release time of "Kung Fu" in his previous life.

Wang Liming continued, "Then there is a girl named Yao Di in my acting class. She is pretty and I heard she is also a good actress."

Seeing that Lin Yicheng just frowned and didn't say anything, Wang Liming had no choice but to say, "I really can't think of anyone else. How about you go to the enemy area and take a look?"

(End of this chapter)