Chapter 52: Joining the “Bountiful Records” Crew

Chapter 52: Joining the "Bountiful Records" Crew

The agent agreed.

Though this person had an extensive and bizarre social circle, it probably didn't extend to the financiers. If he did know them, he wouldn't be in the dark about it.

She said, "I'll make further inquiries later."

Chen Yibai agreed.

Putting aside other scripts, he took another look at the film script. The movie was called "Bountiful Records," and due to confidentiality, only scenes related to his character were included in the script.

There weren't many selected scenes, but he could roughly tell that this role would test his physical fitness, as well as his old bones and fragile back.

The agent tapped on the manually noted salary next to the details.

Chen Yibai felt young enough to still jump around, and after flipping through the script, he read the considerate notes provided at the end.

The notes were compiled by the agent's assistant, straightforward and clear.

Knowing that Chen Yibai had just woken up with a blank mind, the agent read out the notes for him, saying, "You've seen the advantage of this job—it pays well."

The advantage was obvious, but there were also many other factors to consider.

This drama had been in preparation for over a year since they started looking for a director. Most of the cast had been assembled, and the producer couldn't wait any longer; filming was imminent, and he'd have to join the crew shortly after accepting the role.

The crew would be shooting on location in the south, chosen for its various forests where they would be filming. The location was likely remote, not allowing for regular hotel stays—a decent inn would be considered good. Staying in such a place for three to four months was indeed challenging.

Most of the other scripts were set near City A, with occasional trips elsewhere, but not as frequently as this production.

Chen Yibai wasn't picky about the environment, as long as there was a place to stay. What he was considering was something else.

The agent gave him a few more glances, leaned closer for a better look, and suddenly understood. She pointed upstairs and asked her hopelessly friend-obsessed friend, "Can't bear to leave Xu Sinian?"

The hopelessly friend-obsessed friend nodded solemnly, admitting it outright.

The agent closed her eyes and opened them again, her lifeless eyes suggesting, "Why don't you pack your friend along?"

The friend-obsessed brain seriously pondered the idea before responding rigorously, "He's practically packed me up already."

The great actor's time was precious, and he couldn't afford to buy his time.

"..."

This person actually considered the feasibility of bringing someone along, and the agent smacked his head, trying to knock some sense into him.

She didn't manage to snap him out of it, instead sending him into a mild melancholy over the impending separation from his friend.

The agent sighed.

Enough, hopeless friend-obsessed brain.

Setting aside the matter of the friend-obsessed brain for now, the decision on the script was made.

The person who had been roused went back to catch up on sleep, while the agent, having finished her business, needed to return to the company for a meeting. She swiftly got up and left, remembering to wash and return the cup to its original position before departing.

Chen Yibai claimed he was going back to his room to catch up on sleep, but in reality, he was already awake and had washed up, with no intention of returning to bed. Instead, he made himself a cup of black coffee and sat down in front of his computer.

Just now, he had been preoccupied with thoughts of his good neighbor, but after calming down and thinking carefully, he finally remembered that he had more important matters to handle.

Like his restaurant work plan, or his streaming hours.

The handover for the restaurant job was underway, and once they found the next pianist, he could clock out. It shouldn't take too long.

Primarily, it was his streaming plan that concerned him. Three to four months away, in a different province, possibly staying in a hotel. He had personally experienced hotel soundproofing before and knew not to expect much.

That meant three to four months without streaming.

While it wasn't ideal to discuss with the streaming platform, it wasn't impossible either. Three to four months without streaming would mean three to four months without pay, with the uncompleted streaming hours extended beyond the contract period.

He also needed to find time to explain the situation to his viewers in the live stream chat.

Suddenly, it seemed like there was a lot to do.

The contract for this production unexpectedly went through quickly. Just as it was confirmed here, the contract with EV went through the process almost simultaneously.

Time was indeed tight. The contract was finalized this month, and he would join the crew the next month, leaving just enough time for him to shoot promotional photos for EV and attend an offline signing event.

At first glance, it seemed like there were fewer things to do in a month, but in reality, the complete script had already been sent over, thick and heavy, forming a stark contrast to the previous few thin sheets of paper.

During the day, he memorized lines as if comparing the script's thickness to the Criminal Law, and at night, he streamed online. His daily life was bursting with activity, and Chen Moubai relied solely on black coffee to keep going.

On the day before heading to the crew, Chen Erbai, preparing to unleash a major move, finally put down the script and went live earlier than usual.

New fans, lacking experience, were still cheering and celebrating, saying the canteen had released food early, but seasoned fans were already on high alert.

Although Chen Erbai had been diligent and often went live during this period, almost making full attendance except for a few days, they still remembered how last time when he unexpectedly added extra broadcasts, it led to unstable streaming times and halved durations.

"Erbai, you little scoundrel, are you plotting something bad again!!"

"I'm watching with trepidation, feeling like good times won't last."

"Erbai, confess honestly, have you gotten into trouble!"

Chen Erbai hadn't gotten into any trouble; he simply had something to announce.

He had something to announce, but he didn't start with it. Broadcasting from afternoon to evening, feeling the time was right, he took a shallow sip of water to moisten his throat.

"It's starting, Erbai is tactically drinking water (tragic)"

"As soon as he cleared his throat, I guessed what he was about to say."

"Tears of wide noodles stream down in advance."

Sure enough, once the throat was cleared and ready, someone began to speak softly, "Friends, there's something I need to tell you."

The previous sentence was merely a prelude; he then got to the point succinctly, "I'll probably be on air very rarely for the next three or four months."

The live-stream audience: "…"

Viewers: "?"

"Good little juice! How can you make three or four months sound as casual as three or four days!"

"At this point, I must confess, I fall asleep every day to the sound of Erbai's voice! How can I sleep without you!!"

"A college student slowly loses his dreams."

"My first reaction is how Qingzhou will manage. This brother is going to start living solo again (tragic)."

"How could it be so long! Erbai, have you been lured into the mountains by some strange organization?!"

"It could indeed be the mountains," Chen Bai glanced at the barrage comments and said, "But it's to work, and the organization is a legitimate one."

The more he emphasized the legitimacy of the organization, the more worried the live-stream viewers became. After all, those who are deceived never think they've been deceived.

After all the crying and fussing, what they really couldn't accept was three or four months without Erbai.

"Games don't matter anymore, wail wail, I just like listening to Erbai talk."

"Plop, my happiness, gone wail wail."

"Really, not even a little bit of streaming? Wail wail."

The barrage transformed into a train station, filled with "wail wails." Chen Bai, looking at the constantly jumping comments, found it a bit hard to keep up, so he could only pick out a few clear ones to respond to, saying, "If needed, I can stream when I have time."

He continued, "But conditions are limited, it should be limited to chatting, no games."

Unexpectedly, the computer screen instantly flashed a series of gift notifications, followed by a barrage of "yes yes yes," insisting that he remember to send out an advance notice of when he would go live.

"…?"

Chen Erbai finally realized for the first time that there were actually so many people in his live-stream who didn't watch the games but simply liked to chat.

With the matter settled, he tactically took another sip of water, glanced at the barrage still jumping, and paused his hand that was about to end the stream, saying, "Then let's play two more rounds today."

Playing two more rounds meant playing until nearly three in the morning.

When he turned off the computer, it was already late at night, quiet and still. After washing up and lying down on the bed, before his head hit the pillow and he fell asleep, Chen Moubai, with his last bit of strength, sent a message to his good neighbor, and finally closed his eyes peacefully.

He slept soundly through the night without any dreams.

The next day was overcast, with clouds looming overhead, suggesting rain. Even during the day, it was as dark as night, with city streetlights on.

The agent and assistant arrived around noon, entering the building smoothly and taking the elevator with practiced ease.

Upon reaching the floor, the agent knocked on the door, stepping back after knocking, waiting with practiced patience.

However, soon after knocking, faint footsteps could be heard from within the door, growing closer and closer, responding faster than 99% of Chen Yibai's usual times.

"Click—"

A sound came from the door, followed by it being opened.

Lifting their eyes, the agent and assistant did not see the expected figure, but instead saw an unexpected person.

It was Xu Sinian, tall, dressed in casual clothes, with something that looked like a piece of clothing draped over his arm, lacking the usual sense of intimidation. He stepped aside to let them into the house.

Although unclear about the situation, they entered the room nonetheless. The agent, upon entering, looked around and only saw luggage clearly still being packed in the living room, without catching sight of a familiar figure.

Xu Sinian had them sit down on the sofa first, saying, "He stayed up late last night, he's still sleeping."

His voice was somewhat low, as if afraid of disturbing something.

While the person was still sleeping, the luggage was already being packed.

"…"

The agent and assistant now understood why he had a piece of clothing draped over his arm when he opened the door.

Sitting on the living room sofa, they watched him neatly fold the clothes and place them in the suitcase that was already half-packed, then watched him enter the master bedroom, open the closet, and begin searching for other clothes to pack.

"…"

It was hard to describe, but their feelings were complex.

They had come early, thinking that the person still asleep wouldn't have finished packing his luggage, hoping to lend a hand. Now, it seemed they weren't needed at all.

After all, they hadn't expected this person to be so naive as to get the great actor Xu Sinian to pack his luggage while he slept himself to death in bed.

After finishing packing the clothes, the great actor went back upstairs for a short period of time, then returned, bringing a few jackets to put in the suitcase.

With everything packed, the task was considered complete. He closed the suitcase and stood up, saying, "I'll go wake him up."

Relieved of the most headache-inducing task, the agent replied, "Thank you."

Xu Sinian headed to the master bedroom.

From the living room facing the master bedroom, sitting on the sofa, they could lift their eyes and see inside.

Some people are perfectly normal when awake—efficient and focused in their work—but turn into a cumbersome moving trouble once they hit the sack, making waking them up an especially arduous task.

When forcibly roused, they would lash out at anyone indiscriminately, not even sparing Xu Sinian, the renowned actor.

They watched as the tousled-haired Chen Bai, woken from his sprawled sleep, instinctively raised his hand, seemingly attempting to pull the person leaning over him back onto the bed to sleep together.

His hand remained raised, unable to be lowered again. Xu Sinian, the actor by the bedside, immediately grasped the hand that had landed on his neck, gently lifting him up.

From lying down to sitting up and then standing, all in one fluid motion, effortlessly and with practiced ease.

Chen Bai, being lifted, finally opened his closed eyes. His pupils were unfocused, as if he hadn't fully registered what was happening or hadn't completely awakened from his slumber.

...So there was this move!

The series of actions was so smooth that the two assistants didn't have time to react. Regardless, the person was now standing.

Standing up, it took him a few seconds to boot up. The merciless sleeping machine, Chen Yibai, finally woke up. His eyes opened, his vision gradually clearing, and upon seeing several people suddenly appear in the room, he was momentarily stunned. After a moment's pause, he realized something and belatedly greeted them.

Wasting no time, after greeting, he shuffled off to the bathroom in his slippers for his morning routine. After splashing water on his face, he became thoroughly awake.

He remembered.

Today was the day he was leaving for the film set. He had originally planned to pack his luggage after going offline, but last night's stream had run too long, and he had fallen asleep directly, intending to pack in the morning.

To avoid oversleeping, he had specifically messaged his good neighbor before bed, asking him to come down and drag him out of bed if he hadn't sent a message by morning.

As expected, he couldn't get up, and his good neighbor, who had a key to his place, indeed came.

Although half-asleep, he vaguely recalled his good neighbor trying to wake him once before giving up, saying he would help pack his luggage. Chen Yibai seemed to have thanked him, or perhaps he hadn't and just fell back asleep.

And then he slept until now.

After finishing his ablutions and exiting the bathroom, he saw his already packed suitcase and the three gazes sitting on the sofa. He said to wait a moment and returned to his room to change clothes.

Swapping his pajamas for proper attire, a dazzling Chen Yibai emerged.

Dazzling, yet his hair remained disheveled. His agent had given up on taming his unruly locks, handing him a cap to simply cover it up.

From waking up to getting ready, less than ten minutes had passed. With the cap on, the man who had just woken up was ready to go.

All lights and gas were turned off, and the door was locked. The considerate good neighbor didn't head straight upstairs but accompanied him down to the underground parking lot.

This departure meant they wouldn't be able to play flying chess together for months.

The suitcase was loaded into the vehicle's trunk, and as they prepared to leave, Chen Moubai turned around, waved, and suddenly overwhelmed by emotion, tears streamed down his face.

Agent: "…"

Good Neighbor: "…"

The agent, with her eyes wide open, showed no mercy as she said, "Performing a parting scene?"

The good neighbor quietly bowed his head, pulling out his car keys from his pocket.

The melodramatic farewell was interrupted as the good neighbor drove Chen Bai to the airport. The agent watched as the man who had been shedding tears moments ago hopped into the passenger seat of the already open door, remembering to wave goodbye to her.

"…"

The agent wiped her face, handed over the prepared breakfast, and with a wave, got into the car and closed the door.

The two cars exited the underground parking lot in succession.

Sitting in the familiar car, Chen Yibai leaned back against the seat, squinting his eyes as he sipped his soy milk.

The journey from home to the airport, which usually felt endless, today seemed unusually quick.

At a red light, the good neighbor glanced at him, suggesting that conversations could be saved for phone calls.

It made sense, so Chen Yibai temporarily paused his chatter, entering halftime rest, and lowered his head to sip his soy milk, promising to remember to call later.

The road from home to the airport, which should have been quite long, was surprisingly short today.

Arriving at the airport parking lot, without a hat or mask, Chen Yibai didn't let his good neighbor get out of the car to see him off. Instead, he hopped out himself, waving through the window glass.

On the other side, the agent and others got out of the car, carrying the suitcase down without disturbing him, watching him wave.

Walking a bit further together, this time, Chen Bai didn't shed any more tears. He strode forward, taking his own suitcase.

He recovered quickly; in the time it took to turn around, he was once again the sunny Chen Yibai.

The agent looked at him. "Feeling better?"

Chen Bai tossed the remains of his soy milk cup into the trash can and nodded. "Feeling better."

With thick clouds overhead, they didn't linger in the parking lot and headed straight into the airport.

They arrived at the perfect time, checked in, and didn't sit in the waiting area for long before boarding the plane.

As heavy rain fell, the plane took off, and Chen Moubai caught up on some sleep.

City A was raining, and as the plane flew south, it was also raining in the south.

Just as they approached landing, the agent woke the person who had been sleeping like the dead.

She wasn't as skilled as Xu Sinian in waking people up, but she had her own secret weapon, casually turning around and saying, "The God of Wealth has arrived."

It worked every time, and she didn't even need to adjust her tone or raise her voice. The person beside her woke up.

The timing was perfect. As his vision cleared, Chen Yibai looked out the window and saw the gleaming airport.

Beyond the curtain of rain, another aircraft prepared to land, mirroring their own descent.

Brother Liu and Little Meng had already begun packing up, readying themselves to disembark.

The landing was unexpectedly smooth, the slight jolt of touchdown followed by a gentle roll to a stop after a brief glide down the runway.

Chen Yibai yawned, adjusting his cap that had slid upward during sleep, before rising with the other passengers.

They lingered for a moment, exiting the cabin last, and proceeded down the corridor.

Despite the gloomy weather, the airport was unusually bustling, teeming with a dense crowd.

These people didn't seem like typical travelers, and the airport didn't appear to offer any particular excitement or spectacle.

The masses were concentrated around another exit, transforming this area into a less crowded safe haven. The agent, following the white-haired one's gaze, remarked, "Those are fans waiting for arrivals."

She continued, "Do you remember Chu Mingyuan from your production? They're here for him."

Chu Mingyuan, the producer's chosen lead for "Chronicles of Blossoms," had recently claimed a domestic Best Actor award. Though still not on par with his good friend Xu Sinian in terms of stature, he was among the rare breed of actors who excelled both commercially and critically, boasting a fanbase that spanned the country, firmly establishing him as a top-tier actor.

It was difficult to keep such a high-profile artist's schedule under wraps, and sometimes the studio would even release public notices, prompting fans to organize spontaneous airport greetings. This seemed to be one of those instances, likely to generate buzz for the upcoming film's launch.

After all, as the lead, he bore the responsibility of box office success and maintaining popularity.

Old Xu had mentioned this individual earlier on the road, and Chen Yibai recalled the conversation, nodding in understanding. He added, almost wistfully, "Being the main character isn't easy."

Neither is it easy for the fans, braving the heavy rain to come to the airport when such weather is best enjoyed from the comfort of home.

Being a supporting actor is better; they don't have to shoulder the burden of box office performance.

The agent glanced at him, responding, "Your day will come."

As if on cue, a chorus of shouts erupted from the distance, easily drowning out all other sounds.

Someone must have emerged. With most eyes drawn to the distant exit, the agent seized the opportunity to swiftly guide her companions out of the airport.

Unlike the north, the south was humid. Even the short distance from the airport entrance to the car door left them feeling damp, a thin layer of moisture clinging to their clothes and skin, barely noticeable yet undeniably present.

Inside the vehicle, Chen Yibai could finally remove his hat, greeting the driver with a smile.

Caught off guard by his initiative, the driver, who had been about to greet him, paused momentarily before returning the greeting.

The journey from the airport to their temporary lodging was an unusual one. Typically, it was the driver who initiated conversation to break the ice, but this time, the passenger was more talkative and outgoing, engaging the driver in chatter that left him blushing.

By the time they arrived at the hotel's underground parking lot, the driver and the white-haired one had become like old brothers, while the usually loquacious agent found herself unusually quiet in their company.

Fortunately, the driver had others to pick up, so they parted ways after the two disembarked.

There were no fans lurking in the underground parking garage. The production crew's liaison, having received word of their arrival en route, waited by the elevator leading to the hotel, guiding them directly to their rooms.

The accommodations provided by the production were suites, spacious enough to comfortably house their small team in four bedrooms and two living areas, making logistics convenient.

After settling their luggage, there was still ample time before they were scheduled to meet up with the rest of the production team, allowing everyone a chance to rest.

Chen Yibai reclined on the sofa in serene repose, casually snapping a photo of the room with his phone to send to his good neighbor, signaling his safe arrival.

Perhaps occupied with something else, there was no immediate response. Setting his phone aside, he suddenly remembered something and sat up, turning to his financial partner and asking, "Is there something about Chu Mingyuan?"

His question came out of the blue, catching his financial partner off guard. "What do you mean?"

Chen Bai explained, "Today, Old Xu... my friend told me in the car to try to avoid contact with Chu Mingyuan."

With no outsiders present, only their tight-knit group remained, and he felt free to speak candidly, unburdened by the need for discretion.

"Chu Mingyuan?"

The agent pondered for a moment before nodding. "He's talented, but his emotional quotient leaves much to be desired."

By 'emotional quotient,' she meant that he was simply a heartless flirt, prone to falling in love on set with fellow actors, only to swiftly end things post-production without a second thought.

While he preferred romancing actresses, specifically female ones, this didn't seem to significantly impact his reputation or provide a compelling reason to avoid him. The agent reflected further, then nodded affirmatively. "Your friend probably doesn't want you to pick up any bad habits from him."