Chapter 12: Which God of Wealth

Early the next morning, the leaders of each department were in a meeting in the director’s lounge.

The art, styling, and photography teams had all worked with Director Wan Shan several times and were very clear about his aesthetic preferences. After just a few words, they knew what Wan Shan wanted for the scene they were shooting today and how it should be adjusted.

After discussing the main business, Director Wan Shan asked with concern, “Old Feng, how’s your back?”

“It’s alright, won’t hold things up. I’m just getting old, a camera is enough to throw out my back.” Old Feng, the head of the photography team, took a couple of bites of his steamed bun with pickled vegetables. Not wanting to dwell on this embarrassing topic, he brought up something else. “Have you all seen that trending topic from the birder? It’s tough to make a living these days. A bird-watcher takes better pictures of an actor than I do.”

Old Ji chimed in, “The old man said his main goal was to photograph the bird, the person was just incidental!”

Director Wan Shan, wearing his reading glasses, opened the nine-photo grid taken by the bird-watching uncle for the umpteenth time. In almost every picture, whether it was the smile, the expression, the posture, or something else, it was the exact image of the mute boy he and the screenwriter had imagined when creating the character.

After looking back and forth several times, Director Wan Shan pondered and asked the on-set promotion team, “How’s the popularity?”

“It’s been fermenting since the 20th, and it has definitely broken out of its niche. Last night it was ranked fifteenth on the trending list, and this morning it climbed another three spots. The line from the birder’s diary, ‘Hey, there’s a little brother in the tree too?’ has been quoted by many bird-watching bloggers. When they post pictures of themselves squatting in trees waiting for birds, they add that line.
Also, the line ‘In order to photograph the bird, he had no choice but to include the person in the shot’ has been jokingly commented on by many netizens, saying the uncle only has eyes for birds and doesn’t even look at the handsome guy. It quickly spawned a derivative meme. Someone would see a handsome guy on the street and say, ‘Sigh, in order to photograph the car, I had no choice but to include the person in the shot,’ or see a handsome guy on the bus and say, ‘Sigh, in order to photograph the handrail, I had no choice but to include the person in the shot.'”

Old Feng laughed heartily, “This generation of netizens is really creative!”

The PR assistant, Little Shen, cautiously continued his report, “Also, because Teacher Shen was photographed with such a divine quality in this set of photos and was called the Son of the Mountain God, some birders now carry his photo with them. They place it on a tree before they start shooting, and word is it’s very effective, increasing the chances of encountering birds and having them perch on a branch to be photographed. The bird-watching community is buzzing. They’ve been struggling to get good bird photos for a long time, and Teacher Shen has managed to get on the trending topics again through sheer superstition, though it’s ranked in the thirties.”

Director Wan Shan took off his glasses, surprised. “There’s such a thing?”

“It’s true,” the PR assistant guessed carefully. “Could it be that when we came here to film before, the offering to the mountain god actually worked? This level of popularity and traffic is really like it fell from the sky. We even saved money on buying a trending topic.”

The head of styling, Old Ji, leaned back on a blue plastic chair, arms crossed, and interjected, “Would anyone else sitting there have gotten on the trending topics? For example, if I sat up there, even if the mountain god showed his power, I wouldn’t get anywhere near the trending list.”

The circle of people sitting around the table burst into laughter.

Old Feng even added, “If your picture was put on a tree, all the birds within a one-kilometer radius would definitely be scared away!”

“Get lost, get lost!” Old Ji couldn’t hold back his own laughter for a moment, then returned to the topic. “But, in all my years in the industry, this is the first time I’ve seen someone get on the trending topics because of a birder. So, whether an actor becomes popular or not really depends on fate.”

Old Ji raised his crossed arms and asked the director in the baseball cap next to him, “Director Wan, should we ride this wave and take over the ‘Son of the Mountain God’ popularity, or what’s the plan? Give us a clear word. Little Shen and his team are waiting for your instructions.”

The PR assistant, Little Shen, who was new to the industry, held his tablet and gave Old Ji a grateful smile.

Director Wan Shan looked at the photo of the mute boy sitting in the morning light, looking at the little bird with a peaceful, divine aura, and made a decision. “Promotion team, you guys discuss how to release the news that Shen Xici is an actor in our crew. We can’t let netizens think we’re marketing, which would cause a backlash.”

Little Shen nodded quickly. “We already came up with several preliminary plans last night. We’ll go back and discuss which one would be more effective.”

At that moment, someone handed over a phone. “Director Wan, it’s Producer Ye.”

Taking the phone and putting it to his ear, Director Wan Shan only spoke after a moment. “Producer Ye, what’s the matter?”

Shen Xici arrived at the set just after nine o’clock. The sun was out today, and sunlight pierced through the lush leaves, creating mottled patches of light on the ground, like the shimmering waves on a lake.

As soon as he got off the motorcycle, Lan Xiaoshan sprinted over like he was running a 200-meter dash. “Brother Shen! Brother Shen!”

Shen Xici watched with alarm. “You almost tripped on a tree stump just now!”

“So what if I tripped, I’m willing!” Lan Xiaoshan didn’t care at all about falling. He stood next to Shen Xici, giggling foolishly even as he applied mosquito repellent spray. As soon as he was done, he spoke quickly. “Brother Shen, I said from the beginning, you were definitely going to get popular!”

He looked on with anticipation. “Brother Shen, what do you think the crew will do? Buy a trending topic? Arrange an interview?”

Although he didn’t have the heart to, Shen Xici said directly, “The crew won’t do anything. They might even have the legal department contact that bird-watching uncle and ask him to take the photos down.”

The smile on Lan Xiaoshan’s face slowly faded, and he froze. “H-how could that be? Brother Shen, you’re on the trending topics! You’re famous!”

He looked to Sheng Shaoyan for help. “Brother Shao, this—”

Sheng Shaoyan’s face was still half-hidden by a mask, making his expression unreadable, but his tone was even more rational and objective than Shen Xici’s. “The main investors for this film are Jia Rui Media and Director Wan Shan. The producer is Ye Mei, the general manager of Jia Rui Media’s film and television division. Xu Lingjia is not only Ye Mei’s godson, but also an artist under Jia Rui Media’s talent department. Jia Rui Media and Ye Mei want to promote Xu Lingjia with this film.”

“So they’re just going to pretend the trending topic never happened?” Lan Xiaoshan looked at Sheng Shaoyan, then at Shen Xici, and turned his face away, saying in a low voice, “I understand.”

Seeing his disappointment, Shen Xici comforted him, “Xiaoshan, I still have a long way to go. This is already a very good starting point.”

At least it was much better than his previous life. There were no Xu family members to bother him, no media constantly fabricating his past, no organized trolls and Xu Lingjia fans spreading rumors and boycotting him. He was even given a boost by a bird-watching uncle.

Lan Xiaoshan went to the assistant director to get new mosquito repellent spray. Sheng Shaoyan walked with Shen Xici in the designated parking area for the crew. He turned his head to look at Shen Xici. “You’re not unhappy?”

Shen Xici was the one who should have been the most disappointed and upset, yet he was the one comforting Lan Xiaoshan.

“Really, I’m not,” Shen Xici’s tone was very light. “What I just told Xiaoshan is what I’m really thinking. I’ve encountered much worse situations; this is really just a small matter. Besides, it’s not like there’s no chance for a turnaround. I’ve always believed that success depends on human effort.”

His eyes were clear and bright, as if even a dark cloud hanging overhead couldn’t take away the radiance from him.

Sheng Shaoyan slowed his pace, thought for a moment, and brought up another matter. “Didn’t I ask you for five thousand to invest in stocks last time?”

“Oh, right.” Shen Xici had long forgotten about this. At the time, he just thought that stock trading might keep Sheng Shaoyan from being so bored and maybe even help him regain some memories.

Sheng Shaoyan: “I made thirteen thousand.”

“Oh, good—” The last word was cut short. Shen Xici whipped his head around, looking at the person standing in a patch of swaying light, unable to believe it. “How much did you say?”

“Thirteen thousand. With the principal, there’s a total of eighteen thousand in the account now.”

He had just sent the username and password to Sheng Shaoyan on the 23rd. He would have started buying stocks on the 24th. What was the date today, the 26th?

Thirteen thousand!

The impoverished Shen Xici stared at Sheng Shaoyan for a few seconds, then suddenly rushed forward without warning and jumped onto him.

With his arms around Sheng Shaoyan’s neck and his fingers clutching the back of the other’s clothes, Shen Xici was so excited he was incoherent. “A’Shao! Which god of wealth are you! You’re amazing!!”

The pounce was too sudden. Sheng Shaoyan took a step back to steady himself and caught him firmly, practically letting Shen Xici sit on his right arm.

After making sure no one was around, Sheng Shaoyan used his other hand to steady the person clinging to him. “Very happy?”

Shen Xici nodded vigorously, patting Sheng Shaoyan’s back hard. “Of course, I’m very happy! Thirteen thousand!! A 260% return in two days!”

Sheng Shaoyan had originally thought a thirteen-thousand-yuan profit was very little, only mentioning it to cheer Shen Xici up. Holding the person with one hand, he couldn’t help but smile as well, talking a little more than usual. “The news a couple of days ago indicated a favorable policy for the industry was coming. I added leverage before the market closed on the first day, and on the second day—”

“It feels like you’re trying to teach me. No thanks, no thanks, what you’re doing is an extreme maneuver, I could never learn it!” Shen Xici was too poor and was dizzied by the sudden influx of money, feeling very giddy. It was only after a moment that he realized he was still clinging to Sheng Shaoyan and quickly jumped down.

With his arm suddenly empty, Sheng Shaoyan nonchalantly put his hand in his pocket. “I want to use this money as principal and continue operating. However, I’d like to take out two hundred to buy something.”

He wanted to buy the photo cards, but Sheng Shaoyan didn’t really want to say it. Just as he was about to explain vaguely, he heard Shen Xici say, “Isn’t it a hassle to withdraw from a stock account? I just transferred five hundred to you.”

Hearing the notification sound from his phone, Sheng Shaoyan wondered. Didn’t he say he had read all those articles I sent him carefully? How come he still asks no questions and grants every request?

The scenes scheduled on the call sheet for today were all very difficult to shoot. Shen Xici, according to the scheduled time, sat in the makeup room waiting several hours in advance.

Lan Xiaoshan returned with two bottles of mosquito repellent. Seeing that no one else was in the makeup room, he finally spoke. “I just ran into someone from the promotion team. They quietly told me that the director had given the green light to ride this wave of popularity during the meeting, but unexpectedly, Producer Ye called. That set of photos from the bird-watching uncle might be deleted in the next couple of days.”

Shen Xici was reading the script and the director’s storyboards. He replied, “Are they having the legal department demand the pictures be taken down on the grounds of portrait rights infringement and leaking the crew’s styling?”

Lan Xiaoshan responded dejectedly, “Yes, that’s it.”

“Since we already know the outcome, don’t be unhappy about it.” Shen Xici was in a very good mood. Every time his gaze shifted to Sheng Shaoyan, he felt like the other person was shimmering with a golden light!

With his account balance added up, he was not only back to five digits, but it started with a two!

After Shen Xici had looked over the storyboards several times and even simulated his blocking, he realized that an hour had passed and the makeup artist still hadn’t arrived. Moreover, the other supporting actor who was supposed to have his makeup done at the same time as him hadn’t come either.

Feeling that something was not right, Shen Xici thought for a moment. “Xiaoshan, go find the makeup teacher. If you can’t find her, go ask Department Head Ji what the situation is.”

A dozen or so minutes later, Lan Xiaoshan returned, with Department Head Ji behind him.

Shen Xici stood up. “Why did you come over?”

Lan Xiaoshan was so angry he didn’t even bother calling him “Teacher Xu” anymore. “The teacher in charge of Xu Lingjia’s makeup sprained her ankle and took leave today. Xu Lingjia called our makeup artist over. First, he complained that her work wasn’t good and made her redo the makeup three times. Then he said he needed to be on camera and demanded the makeup artist stay with him for touch-ups at all times.”

Shen Xici understood immediately. This kind of situation was not uncommon on film sets. A casual trip-up, a small matter, but in the end, if he couldn’t make the shooting time and delayed the progress, he would be the one to be severely reprimanded. He had seen the call sheet and sensed something was off. He turned to Department Head Ji to ask, “I remember Teacher Xu’s scene is scheduled after mine. He shouldn’t need to be in such a rush for makeup and touch-ups, right?”

Seeing that Shen Xici didn’t show the slightest hint of anger or displeasure and remained emotionally stable, Old Ji also explained in detail. “Today, the promotion team is doing a ‘cloud visit’ live stream. They’re collaborating with a live-streaming platform for promotion. The proceeds from tips will be donated to the families of sacrificed border soldiers, and fans who signed up on the official Weibo are also coming to the set. During the live stream, they will interview the actors and staff on site and broadcast some behind-the-scenes content.”

Hearing this, Lan Xiaoshan immediately turned to leave. “I’ll go see if the makeup artists for the other actors are free!”

Shen Xici stopped him. “Xiaoshan!”

Lan Xiaoshan was anxious. “This is Brother Shen’s first official appearance in front of an audience, he absolutely cannot go without makeup! Brother Shen, you’re very good-looking, but having no makeup on camera is a huge disadvantage. It will become a black mark on your history later on!”

Old Ji sighed and also stopped him. “How do you know the other actors are willing to lend their makeup artists to your Brother Shen? With the popularity he got from just a set of photos from a bird-watching uncle, who isn’t wary? Besides, why do you think Young Master Xu dares to hold on to the makeup artist and not let her go? You don’t think Producer Ye had a say in it?”

For this live set visit, very few people wanted Shen Xici to appear on camera.

Shen Xici thought for two seconds and asked, “Did Department Head Ji come over this time specifically for…?”

Old Ji spoke cryptically, “You’ve helped me before, I have to give you an explanation. I can’t let you suffer a loss without knowing why.”

He had always felt that although Shen Xici was a newcomer who had just stepped into the entertainment industry, he was not timid or flustered, and had always been very stable. “You know what’s going on now. What you do next is up to you.”

“Thank you, Department Head Ji,” Shen Xici smiled. “You see, since you’re helping, you might as well go all the way. Since you’ve made a move—”

Old Ji interrupted him, waving his hand. “I really don’t have a makeup artist. I can’t help with this even if I want to.”

Thinking of what happened in his previous life, Shen Xici spoke, “I was wondering if I could trouble you to do my makeup for this next scene?”