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Chapter 5: Background Actor

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

His laced words left Jiang Se at a loss as to whether she should laugh or cry.

When she had still been Feng Nan, she had almost nothing to do with the entertainment industry though she did hear rumors. It was said that this industry was more than what it seemed. Currently, this man's actions humored her.

She would have to accept his name card in any case. If she rejected it, even her role as an extra would be taken away.

When the man saw her accepting his name card, he smiled. "I'm close to everyone in the crew. If you'd like to be a character in a movie, just give me a call. The production team will be staying in Shen Villa for a few days."

Suddenly, someone called him. He shouted in response and turned back to Jiang Se. "Remember to give me a call." Then, he turned and jogged away.

After Lu Baobao saw him leave, she hastily moved closer to Jiang Se. "Sese, is he trying to help you because you're pretty?"

Jiang Se shook her head. She tossed the name card into a rubbish bin nearby. "Don't be fooled."

The guy was only a runner in the crew who was being ordered around. Surely, he did not pull any rank. His words just now were no doubt meant to fish innocent, inexperienced girls with dreams of becoming a star. His only authority was choosing background actors. There was no way he would be calling the shots for the bigger roles.

"Let's go."

The women in front of them had already entered the site. The two of them were just a step behind. When they found the changing room, they saw that many of the others were already changing into their costumes.

Judging from the looks of the outfits, this show must be set in the Republic of China era. Furthermore, based on its name "Rescue Mission", Jiang Se guessed that this must be a resistance-themed show.

The costumes were hung on the racks in neat rows. They were of different colors, but someone else had clearly worn them before since they emanated a sour smell.

Lu Baobao, who had been pampered and spoiled since she was young, displayed a disgusted expression. Jiang Se, on the other hand, was undisturbed. She took the clothes, went behind the curtains, and changed.

There were many people behind the curtains, but nobody made any conversation. When they finished changing, a woman in her 30s brought some forms with her and approached them.

She called the extras over and handed out the forms as she explained, "Background actors, you'll be required to work for 41 days for eight hours a day. Meals will be provided. Since you're now wearing the costumes, you'll have to follow the crew's directions. Otherwise, you won't get paid. If there are no problems, please sign here. You'll get your payment at night."

The extras went up to sign their names. When it was Jiang Se's turn, the woman seemed surprised. She did several takes at Jiang Se. Then, she picked her documents up and went out.

The extras waited in line for their makeup. It was obvious that they were not meant to play bright and beautiful characters. When Lu Baobao was done with her makeup, she looked duller than normal. With her messy hair and the blue floral blouse she wore, she looked much older than her actual age.

A man in his 30s was assigned to apply makeup on Jiang Se. When he saw her, he exclaimed in awe, "Beautiful!"

It was true that heaven blessed Jiang Se with her looks. Despite the rustic and thick costume which made her look slightly swollen, it did nothing to dampen her gracefulness.

"Thank you." Jiang Se smiled. The makeup artist glanced at her again.

Although the period between May and June was still considered summer, "Rescue Mission" must have been set in the winter because Jiang Se and the others were wearing thick costumes. As she and Lu Baobao were late, the thinner clothes had already been picked by the others and only two jackets remained. When they donned them, despite the air-conditioned makeup room, they sweated profusely which made the clothes stick tightly to Jiang Se's back. The stink of the clothes also made it difficult for Jiang Se to breathe.

She was incredibly pretty and did not pale even when compared to the female stars of the cast. However, as a background actor, she stood out too much.

The makeup artist thought about it and darkened her skin tone with some dark-colored powder. The person in the mirror instantly lost her glow and was no longer as eye-catching as she had been before.

"You're going to be part of the villagers captured and killed by the traitors," the makeup artist was speaking to Jiang Se with a smile, but his hands did not rest, "So, I'll be putting some scars on your face."

If it were any other background actor, neither would the makeup artist have paid so much attention to detail nor would he have explained the scene that would be filmed that day.

The makeup artist had been in the industry for a long time, so he knew a future star when he saw one. With Jiang Se's pretty features, she would most likely make it big in the industry as long as she kept her head on her shoulders. He gently painted her face with a makeup brush and introduced himself with a smile, "I'm Tony."

Jiang Se nodded. She looked on as he drew some scars on her face and set her hair. She looked different from before.

Tony looked at her from the left and the right. The makeup was done, but something seemed off.

With her straight back, a refined air came naturally to her. Even with the dirty appearance from the makeup, it was clear that she was different from the other background actors.

"That won't do." He wagged an index finger. "You should bend your back slightly and have a slight slouch." Then, he pointed at the listless women at the side. "Be like them, and you'll look the part."

Jiang Se looked at the others and her gaze returned to her reflection. Her skin was now darker, but even the cotton knotworks and straight collar could not conceal her slender neck and her beautiful, delicate chin. Even with the "scars" on her face, her calm eyes showed no signs of her being a person in a difficult situation. That would not do.

She thanked Tony for his reminder. Since she was an extra, she should not stand out too much.

She bent her back and retracted her neck as she attempted cowering looks in the mirror. Soon, there was a call for the background actors to go on set already, thus she had no time to polish her looks.

Lu Baobao was excited and frightened at the same time. As she hugged Jiang Se's arm, her antics made Jiang Se laugh despite herself.

The makeup artist, Tony, had already told Jiang Se what role she would be playing. When the cars for the set drove in, Jiang Se was calm.

The scene was set near the Daxing River dock, and the set was already cleared. The crew had rented this part of Shen Villa beforehand. Cameras were set up everywhere.

The people in costumes huddled together in small groups, making conversation under the sun.

Several beach parasols were erected in the distance and some people were lying on recliners as they studied their scripts.

When the production team's cars arrived at the scene, one of the slightly fat middle-aged men stood up. He raised a megaphone to his mouth and shouted, "The extras are here. Places, everyone!"

Jiang Se and the others were told to get ready in a hurry. Soon, several crew members walked up to them with hemp ropes in their hands.

When Lu Baobao saw this, she was slightly shaken. She directed her question to Jiang Se in an undertone, still shaking, "What are those for?"


Chapter 6: Action

Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lu Baobao's face darkened and her expression could not be easily read. Jiang Se moved closer to her and said, "We're going to play dead people."

The other extras felt excited at the mention of this. Some of them whispered among themselves, "The crew should be giving us red packets after this."

Lu Baobao was about to ask about this when the script supervisor urged the crew members to hurry up and bind the extras together. They were pushed onto the wooden pikes erected near the river.

Jiang Se's hands were bound behind her back and she was pushed to the riverside with the slipknot in her hands. Meanwhile, the extras who played the Japanese soldiers had already grabbed their bayonets and were waiting for the director's orders.

The crew fitted the background actors with blood bags. A man with a pen was communicating the plot to another woman, "So, when Gao Rong says his lines, you will say 'pah'."

Many of the background actors envied her for even having a line.

The woman nodded vigorously. Then, the man with the pen turned and looked at Jiang Se and the others.

"When the prop blades slash at you, they'll press the blood bags and you should fall into the river." He pointed to a cordoned-off safety area in the river where there were several people as well. "We've taken safety precautions. Anyone who falls into the river today will earn another $20."

Upon finishing the brief, he clapped his hands. "Alright, get ready."

The main actor, Liu Ye, was not involved in this scene. The female celebrities Liu Baobao spoke about were not involved as well. This was only a part of "Rescue Mission".

Jiang Se was pushed to the riverside. There were a handful of wooden pikes and Lu Baobao was fortunate enough to be tied to one so that she did not have to get wet. Jiang Se, however, stood at the edge of the river. She clearly had to jump into the river.

Everyone went to their places. Then, the director shouted, "Let's do a test run. Action!"

The script supervisor wrote the take number on the clapperboard and stepped forward. "Take one!"

This was the first take for this scene. With the clap of the clapperboard, the middle-aged actor in the Japanese army uniform spoke with a sinister voice, "If Zhou Mingchong refuses to give us what we want, you'll all die here!"

The others were stunned and the director was furious.

The others barely had time to react when the script supervisor with the pen ran forward and shouted at a woman, "Cut!" 

"Do you have a problem? Didn't I tell you to say 'pah' after Gao Rong finishes his lines?"

The woman could not even raise her head after being scolded. The man swore at her with a fierce expression for a while longer before waving his arm. "Again!"

Everyone went to their places again. The lights and cameras were aimed at Jiang Se and the others while the male actor, Gao Rong, readied his stance. He placed a hand on the bayonet hanging around his waist and said, "If Zhou Mingchong refuses to give us what we want, you'll all die here!"

This time, the women who had just been scolded reacted quickly. She hastily said, "Pah!"

The scolding was fresh in her mind, but her scoff sounded weak. Naturally, the script supervisor with the pen was jumping with rage.

"Can you do it or not? If you can't, we'll switch!"

The woman was tearing up after being scolded, and she kept apologizing. They only did a retake after a long while.

"Take three!"

When the clapperboard rang out, Gao Rong recited his lines again. After two fails, the woman shouted loudly this time. "Pah!"

The shoot was not cut this time. Instead, the script supervisor was talking to the director. When they looked over, they were frowning.

After the woman uttered her line, the middle-aged man who played the Japanese soldier gritted his teeth, cursed, and raised his rifle.

The plot stopped there and the director gestured, so the production grip called for the shoot to be paused.

Gao Rong stopped. The firearms specialist of the crew went up to inspect his rifle.

Jiang Se looked at the rifle which gleamed coldly in the distance. It must have been an actual rifle. However, it should not contain any rounds.

In a movie with such a huge investment such as "Rescue Mission", the crew would not be using prop guns. To keep it real, they would usually zoom in on the rifle itself, and then shoot a scene in which the blood bags would be detonated.

The script supervisor communicated with the woman who had the line again. Under the scorching sun, Jiang Se felt sweat oozing from her back. They had been standing there for half a day. In order to shoot a scene depicting the sorry state of the captured villagers, they were not allowed to move.

The makeup artist went over to patch their makeup again. After the firearms expert inspected the rifle and confirmed that it was safe to use, the script supervisor clapped the board again.

This time, Gao Rong raised the rifle. However, the woman with the line must have been so nervous that she did not detonate her blood bag and got another round of scolding.

"Let's leave this scene out for now. Finish all the takes with the background actors first," instructed a man with shades lounging under a beach parasol, displaying an impatient look. When he finished, the script supervisor shouted some orders. He gave Jiang Se and the others some directions, and the cameras tilted toward them.

With the smack of the script supervisor's clapperboard, the cameras panned across the rows of rifles. As Jiang Se stood by the river, she saw a man brandishing a knife running toward her. The knife was raised, and he made a slashing gesture.

The blade connected with her shoulder. Although it was only a prop and did not do any real harm, the man had still put a lot of force behind the knife, so it hurt.

Jiang Se made a pained expression. Remembering the instructions from the script supervisor, she pressed her detonator and the blood bag erupted with a dull sound. Then, she untied the knot behind herself without hesitation and plunged into the river.

The heat of the day was almost too much for her to bear in the thick clothes. She felt much cooler in the water.

The river water embraced her from all sides. Her cotton jacket grew heavier after taking in some water.

Fortunately, Jiang Se knew how to swim. Moreover, there was someone standing by in the river. The person swam up and pulled her onto the riverbank.

The others who had also fallen into the river got up as well. Jiang Se wrung the excess water from her jacket and wiped her face.

Upon doing that, the makeup on her face was removed slightly. The director, who was looking at the camera, made a gesture to signal a pause.

They were taking a short break. The extras naturally gathered in their small groups and rested.

Jiang Se felt tired as well. Lu Baobao was released from her bondage to the wooden pike. Her costume had bloodstains whereas her gaze was that of a person who had just recovered from shock.

"That scared the hell out of me."

She moved closer. When she saw that Jiang Se was drenched with her hair still dripping wet, she could not help but say, "I was scared to death when I saw you fall into the river."

Being an extra in a movie production was not as fun as Lu Baobao expected. They did not even see a single celebrity, let alone get the chance to take pictures with them.

"I was also scared to death when the gun was aimed at me." Lu Baobao seemed dispirited and seemed as if she wanted to run away from this. She clearly regretted her decision to become an extra today.

Jiang Se twisted the excess water from her hair. "I think the production team is using real rifles. However, since the firearms specialist has checked them, it should be fine."


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