Zhang Jizhong and Lu Kuan sat facing each other in the RV. On the narrow square table was Dafo Longjing tea, which Big Beard had bought when filming in Zhe Province.
Lu Kuan smiled, thanking Big Beard for his courtesy, and leisurely sipped the tea.
"Not bad!" He gently took a sip of the tea.
"It's fresh, mellow, sweet, and refreshing, and the soup color is also apricot green and bright, but the water is a bit rough."
Zhang Jizhong gave Little Taoist a thumbs-up: "Master Lu is an expert. Originally, I was going to Suzhou Dayang Mountain today to get a few buckets of mountain spring water to brew tea, but..."
"Alas... I'm really exhausted now."
Lu Kuan smiled noncommittally. He had already learned the whole story from Jiang Qinqin's phone call.
It was a set of ropes from the props department that had aged and scraped against the sharp rocks of Tiger Hill Mountain, which led to Guo Jing the hero turning into a bear.
Listening to Big Beard's change in address from Lu Daoshi to Master Lu, he thought it was time to settle the battle gains.
Hmm, this Master Lu will help you clean up your memory properly, and then plant a Trojan horse in your head!
"Lu Daoshi, the 300,000 consultant fee is not a problem, what about the other aspects?"
Lu Kuan sighed deeply, his face troubled: "Three days ago it was effortless, but now there are unexpected complications. Resolving it is not easy."
Zhang Jizhong's expression was a bit grim. Was he going to ask for more money again?
He wanted to ask the other party to get out of the car but was unwilling to cause further trouble at the final critical moment of the crew's rush.
Every day of delay costs hundreds of thousands in personnel expenses and will affect post-production time and release scheduling.
Between two evils, choose the lesser. He patiently said: "350,000. Please take care of all aspects, Lu Daoshi!"
Lu Kuan burst into laughter, looking surprised: "Director Zhang, you're overstating it. It's not about the money, I have a small request."
"I want to play a character in the drama. I wonder if that's possible?"
"Hmm? Please tell me?" Big Beard was a bit surprised, not expecting someone from outside the secular world to have such a strong acting bug.
"Yin Zhiping. I'll play him as myself. You can find someone to test the role."
Zhang Jizhong was a bit tongue-tied: "This..."
He cast aside the filter of religious mystery and observed the young man in casual clothes in front of him. From appearance to temperament, it was not an exaggeration to say he was outstanding.
Then, thinking of the request he made, it was so perfectly fitting.
Yin Zhiping only appears in two or three episodes of the entire drama. His role isn't heavy, but it's a character with lines, actions, and close-ups, which is perfect for a newcomer to test the waters.
This was clearly premeditated, calculating every step of his side flawlessly.
He is truly a person with deep schemes.
Zhang Jizhong picked up his teacup and said with a chuckle: "It seems Lu Daoshi also has an actor's dream?"
Lu Kuan pretended to be profound: "The so-called straightforward heart is the dojo. A Taoist descending the mountain is to gain experience in the mundane world."
"This vast world, the entertainment industry is dirty, vulgar, complex, and full of alluring temptations. It couldn't be more suitable."
Human nature is inherently evil, and all top circles are inevitably tainted, but the entertainment industry is particularly prominent under the spotlight.
Zhang Jizhong was somewhat hesitant. Saying he was being mysterious and cunning, yet his judgment and predictions for the two events were so profound that people had to believe him.
Saying he was immortal and detached from worldly affairs, yet he was willing to get involved in the mundane matters of the crew and actors. How is this the behavior of a reclusive master?
Lu Kuan laughed heartily: "Director Zhang, don't overthink it. It's the 21st century. The identity of a Taoist is not presentable. I also have to make more preparations for the future."
This was his true feeling. As the saying goes, use the orthodox for formation, and the unexpected for victory. He couldn't always rely on this mysterious act to connect with various parties. Occasional strokes of genius must be used at critical moments, otherwise, there would be too many flaws!
Starting as an actor and entering the game, using the entertainment industry's penchant for the strange and supernatural to exchange resources, and maneuvering within this capitalist and relationship-based society is the right path. The Taoist identity can only serve as a cover and is not suitable for formal occasions.
Zhang Jizhong didn't care whether his words were true or false. Anyway, such a small role with less than twenty minutes of screen time could just be given to him. What was most important now was to restart the halted crew.
Lu Kuan had also received the money. At this point, he also gave Big Beard some advice from a public relations perspective: "Li Yapeng is injured and hospitalized, and Zhou Xun is emotionally unstable. Reporters will definitely get wind of it. The crew needs to be prepared for public opinion response."
"You mean?"
"Hype up the story of them falling in love because of the drama, cover up the negative news of filming delays and the main actor's injury, and create buzz."
Zhang Jizhong stared at him, dumbfounded. This wasn't some brilliant method, it was a common publicity tactic used by film crews, but it was still very strange coming from the mouth of a Little Taoist who had just entered the entertainment industry.
But he had to admit it was the optimal solution at the moment.
"Also, Director Zhang can privately inform Li Yapeng's current girlfriend, Qu Ying, as soon as possible."
Lu Kuan calmly blew away the floating leaves in his teacup, throwing this dirty trick to Big Beard without any psychological pressure. He believed the other party would make the best choice.
Given his methods of hyping up previous Jin Yong adaptations, it would be strange if he didn't seize this opportunity to hype up the love triangle to explosion and preheat the eagle shooting heroes!
With a "clatter!", the teacup in Zhang Jizhong's hand slipped, tea spilled everywhere, wetting the small table.
Lu Kuan, your heart is dirtier than mine!
It seemed ever since he met this Little Taoist, he had been constantly refreshing people's understanding of him.
Now, he was like a cloud-shrouded mountain, making it impossible for Zhang Jizhong to see his true face.
But one thing could be confirmed: he was a smart person, and it was always right to make friends with a smart person.
As for the original actor Cheng Haofeng, he naturally became a victim of this dirty deal.
The weak are prey to the strong, which is not surprising.
---
Crew studio.
"What? You? Yin Zhiping?"
Jiang Qinqin was a bit incredulous. She didn't know if she was crazy or if the world was crazy.
Taoists were even descending the mountain to enter the entertainment industry.
"Cough cough..." Lu Kuan lightly coughed into his fist by his mouth, feigning anger: "Sister Jiang, do you think my image isn't good enough?"
She just felt it was too sudden.
One second she was shocked by his unpredictable predictions, the next he seemed to have fallen back to the mortal world, becoming an entertainment industry professional as keen on improvement as she was.
Jiang Qinqin playfully slapped his arm, and then saw Zhang Jizhong, Ju Jueliang, and other Directors walk into the studio.
"Is this for your audition?" Only then did Jiang Qinqin believe his words.
The crew was halted again today, and the presence of all these Directors could only be because of what Lu Kuan had just mentioned.
Everything was ready. Lu Kuan changed into his costume. He barely needed makeup, as he naturally possessed an otherworldly Taoist temperament.
Zhou Jie was dressed as Guo Jing, performing the scene of delivering the letter in the yurt.
"Your name is Guo Jing, right?"
Lu Kuan's expression was arrogant. He glanced at the young man who came out of the yurt and provoked him with a look of disdain.