The two of them held on to their tickets as they waited for the bus.
Jiang Se was drenched in sweat from all the walking, so she fanned herself with her hands. The passersby would often do a double-take at her with awe on their faces. She frowned and turned around to see Lu Baobao still scrolling through the various artistes on her phone.
"It's said that at least $200 million has been invested into 'Rescue Mission' this time," Lu Baobao reported while wiping the sweat from her forehead away. "The heat is killing me. Sese, would you like a drink?"
"Haven't got the money." Jiang Se shook her head. She had $24 on her which she had salvaged from the notebook under her pillow.
The fare for the transportation between Shen Villa and the city already cost her $10. If she bought a drink with her remaining money, she would have to walk back home.
When she remembered her days of lavishly spending money as if it was running water, she felt frustrated. She tapped Lu Baobao's head. "What's the theme for 'Rescue Mission' this time?"
"I don't know." Lu Baobao spread her arms and blinked. "These big-shot directors are always secretive about their shows before the camera rolls, so they won't let slip anything. However, if we get there and become extras, we might be able to learn something."
Because she could not stand the heat, she eventually bought two bottles of water and handed one to Jiang Se.
When they reached Shen Villa, it was already past ten o'clock and the sun was shining brightly.
Perhaps because it was the weekend and many other people must have gotten wind of "Rescue Mission" being filmed in Shen Villa, just as Lu Baobao did, there was an exceptionally large crowd in Shen Villa that day.
Shen Villa was an amphibian dock that was built along the Daxing River during the Qing Dynasty. During the Republic of China era, it was bought over by the famous rich businessman, Shen Congzhi. However, due to its unique geographical location, it had been the frequent target of invaders.
Shen Congzhi did not back down in the face of cannons and gunfire. He was worried that the invaders would use the Daxing River to disseminate their firearms all over the country and his countrymen would be the ones who suffered. Therefore, he fought the invaders multiple times and eventually lost his life on the amphibian dock. That was how Shen Villa became famous.
There were well-preserved ancient architectures here apart from the heroic marks that the martyrs of the revolution left behind. Because of that, aside from the usual tourists, filming cast and crew would also shoot their productions here.
Jiang Se realized that she was too young the moment she set foot in Shen Villa. She completely believed Lu Baobao.
However, if Lu Baobao knew that "Rescue Mission" would be filmed in Shen Villa, so would anyone else naturally.
There were many fans like Lu Baobao here. Nevertheless, although they found out about the location of the cast and crew, the production team had firmly cordoned off the shooting site with layers of tight security.
Some of the people among the crowd attempted to peek inside by raising their phones high above their heads. The bodyguards hired by the production team were keeping a close eye on the crowd. Nobody, be they man, woman, child, or senior, was allowed in regardless of their plea.
Jiang Se stopped Lu Baobao who wanted to go and try her luck with the guards. She shot her a glare.
"You said that we could be extras…"
The two of them were being jostled around as there were too many people. To prevent being separated, Lu Baobao maintained a firm grip on Jiang Se's hand. "I didn't expect there to be such a huge crowd…"
Besides the numerous fans in Shen Villa, there were also many people who wanted to become extras.
Many of them harbored the same wish to become an extra. Then, by some lucky twist of fate, they longed to be noticed by the director and be on their way to achieve a meteoric success in their career. They were all gathered around the main entrance to the production team's site, attempting to get in.
Jiang Se knew that she could not count on Lu Baobao anymore, so she sighed and asked one of the security guards, "Mister, is the Rescue Mission crew looking for any extras?"
Her gorgeous palm-sized face made her stand out in the crowd.
The bodyguards hired by the production team had seen a fair share of female stars who all looked stunning. However, when he laid eyes on Jiang Se, the man in the security guard uniform seemed as if his breath had been taken away.
He must have met quite a number of people who wanted to make it into the entertainment industry just as Jiang Se did. When he heard her question, he gave her a long, good look before pointing in a direction. "Turn left, walk out of the main door, then turn right and walk straight. Just wait at the spot called Changchun Building."
Jiang Se thanked him and pulled Lu Baobao out from the crowd. She followed the security guard's directions and finally reached a spot nearby where the words "Changchun Building" were written.
The so-called Changchun Building was nothing but a memorial arch. Guards were also stationed there, denying entrance to any unauthorized personnel.
There was already a group of people squatting before the arch. They were clearly background actors who were waiting for the crew to pick them. Their ages ranged from 17 to 60.
There were both male and female actors, and Jiang Se thought that there were too many of them. She roughly estimated that there were about 100 individuals. Their trip today might very well have been for naught.
Jiang Se frowned when she saw a young man in a white T-shirt running toward them from beyond the Changchun Building door plate. When the people who were gathered in small clusters saw the crew member, they hastily got to their feet and attempted to squeeze through the door.
"Don't push. Get back. We want 50 background male actors of all ages and 20 females," the young man stepped forward and hollered. When the crowd backed away, he told them what he needed.
Lu Baobao tugged at Jiang Se and pushed her way into the crowd. When she saw a chance of seeing an actual celebrity, she got extremely excited. Drawing strength from an unknown source, she forced her way into the crowd with Jiang Se in tow.
The young man from the crew picked the actors casually. "You, you, you…"
The chosen ones stepped aside excitedly. The remaining crowd was still elbowing one another to get to the front.
Lu Baobao raised her hand and shouted, "Us! Us! We're females!"
Her loud voice drew the attention of the young man who turned to look and immediately saw Jiang Se.
"Come here, you two!"
The young man's eyes brightened. Even though Jiang Se nearly suffocated from being pulled into the crowd by Lu Baobao, she still seemed stunning. The man picked all the background actors he needed, and they followed him into the site.
Lu Baobao's voice was quivering with excitement as she exclaimed, "Sese, we've been chosen! We've actually been picked! Hahaha!"
She reached for her phone again. "I want to take a picture with Liu Ye, Lu Bingbing, Zhao Ruoyun, and Ruan Mi. I want their autographs as well!"
Before they could even settle down, someone hurried up to them and urged them along, "Men, follow me. You're changing here."
The young man, who led them in, addressed the remaining females and pointed in a direction, "Head over there to the changing room. The makeup artists will be waiting for you there."
After he finished, he pointed at Jiang Se and said, "You, come here."
Jiang Se was momentarily stunned. The other females around her glanced at her calmly at this unexpected turn of events. There were hints of mockery in their gaze as they turned around and left.
Lu Baobao did not seem to register what was happening. "Is he calling you?"
Jiang Se walked up to the man. Perhaps because Lu Baobao was still watching her from behind, the man did not do anything drastic. He merely produced a name card from the pocket of his jeans and stated, "My name's Zhang Fan. I'm in charge of recruiting the cast. If you're interested to be in a movie, give me a call."
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?"
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