Chapter 46: Shooting a Variety Show
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Due to the psychological issues of the snub-nosed monkey, Xia Xin had been hesitant to use the Beast Language System to communicate with it, fearing it might scare the monkey. Now, she finally felt ready to give it a try.
“Little monkey, don’t be afraid. In this enclosure, you’re the only monkey, and nobody will bully you. If you want anything, just let me know,” said Xia Xin.
The snub-nosed monkey was surprised, but it was clever and quickly accepted that Xia Xin could communicate with it. As a result, it became closer to her, which made other keepers quite envious.
After the snub-nosed monkey’s condition improved significantly, it started getting used to visitors, so Lu Yuan decided to open up exhibition tickets for the snub-nosed monkey’s enclosure. The Capital Zoo became even more crowded.
Xia Xin named the snub-nosed monkey, Slowpoke because it took a long time for it to adapt to the environment after arriving at the zoo, slower than other animals.
On this day, just after Xia Xin had finished feeding Slowpoke and was about to finish her work for the day, Lu Yuan suddenly called her into his office.
Given that the last two times Xia Xin went to Lu Yuan’s office, nothing good had happened, she felt a bit nervous on her way there.
In the office, besides Lu Yuan, there were two middle-aged men that Xia Xin didn’t recognize at all.
Lu Yuan introduced them as the director, Sun Tao, and the assistant director of a variety show. The theme of the show was centered around animals, so they wanted to use the Capital Zoo as a frequent shooting location.
Since the snub-nosed monkey had recently gained a lot of popularity, Sun Tao intended to feature it in the first episode of the show. Because Slowpoke wouldn’t let anyone except Xia Xin approach it, Sun Tao hoped she could be the technical advisor and appear on screen in the first episode.
After listening to the director’s explanation, Xia Xin hesitated a bit. She looked at Lu Yuan and said, “Mr. Lu, it’s a good thing to use a variety show to encourage people to get closer to animals. However, our zoo is always packed with visitors, and I’m afraid we don’t have time available for the crew to shoot.”
Sun Tao reassured her, “Miss Xia, you don’t need to worry about this. We’ve already considered it. Each filming session will only take up one day and one enclosure. It won’t affect the regular visitors. Furthermore, we’ll only allow 80 audience members for each episode, which is even fewer than the usual visitors. It won’t disturb the animals.”
Since Xia Xin always prioritized the well-being of the animals, with this concern resolved, she was more than willing to cooperate.
Next, they discussed the filming schedule in detail and the main content of the first episode. The assistant director gave Xia Xin a rough script for her to familiarize herself with the flow in advance.
As Xia Xin looked at the script, she noticed that the guests for the first episode were the popular male celebrity Xu Zhi and the female idol group member Wan Wan.
Xia Xin’s eyes lit up at the mention of Xu Zhi’s name. He was a university mate, two years younger than her. He had been scouted by talent agents and had been in the entertainment industry for two years.
Ever since Xu Zhi debuted, Zhao Nan had been a fan of his. Xia Xin hadn’t expected him to be a guest on this show. She had to secure a ticket for Zhao
Nan.
Xia Xin asked the director, “Mr. Sun, can I have one ticket to the live recording of the first episode? I’m willing to give up my fee for this episode in exchange for the ticket.”
Supporting celebrities was a normal thing, and this kind of effect was precisely what Sun Tao wanted. So, he readily agreed.
On their way back, the assistant director said to Sun Tao, “Mr. Sun, that girl from today is Xia Xin, a popular zookeeper recently. She really is beautiful and seems suitable for entering the entertainment industry.”
Sun Tao had been busy writing the script for the variety show and hadn’t paid much attention to current trends. Hearing the assistant director’s words, he immediately started thinking, “Since she’s gaining popularity, we can use her for publicity. It will definitely help increase the discussion around our first episode!”
Just as they were discussing that, Sun Tao’s phone rang. Seeing the caller ID, he signaled to the assistant director to stay quiet.
After answering the call, Sun Tao adopted a somewhat flattering tone, “Mr.
Sun, the great busy manager, it’s nice to finally get a call from you.”
On the other end of the line, Sun Hu’s voice was courteous, “Mr. Sun, I apologize. It’s just that Jing MO’s schedule has been packed lately. That’s why I haven’t been able to get back to you. I can confirm a time for the recording day and give you an hour for shooting. However, I want to make it clear that we’ll only appear as special guests for one segment and then leave.”
Sun Tao didn’t mind how long Jing MO would appear on the screen. As long as he showed up in the first episode, the variety show’s impact would be maximized.
The show had just started, and the investors would assess its performance during the first season before deciding whether to continue their investment. Regardless, Sun Tao was determined to make the first episode as engaging as possible..