CH 3

Zheng Baozhu feared that the man who looked like Qu Zhi would plague her. She quickly minimized the photo and exited Weibo.

After she finished breakfast, she called a car to the film studio complex.

The middle-aged driver’s hairline was already in danger. When Zheng Baozhu entered the car, he was arranging his precious remaining locks in the rearview mirror. 

The two simply verified the other’s identity before departing. 

Though the Film and Television City in City A was not the largest nor the most famous in China, it was close to Zheng Baozhu’s residence. Additionally, the high-speed ways made for a smooth ride. 

The driver also enjoyed the free-running speed, so he put on some music for his own enjoyment.

The radio station he selected was currently playing Su Mingmei’s “First Love “.

It was the interlude of the movie “Spring Day No More “. When the male and female protagonists first met, this was the background music. ‘First Love’ had been one of the best songs of the year. It won countless awards and echoes through every street and alley. Not even Su Mingmei’s suicide affected its popularity.

Nearly twenty years later, her songs still played on the radio. 

“… secretly looking up, does it feel like first love?” Zheng Baozhu hummed softly to the music flowing from the speakers. The driver looked in the rearview mirror and said, “Young Miss, do you also like Su Mingmei’s song?”

Zheng Baozhu smiled and said, “Yeah, this song is very famous.” 

“That it is.” The topic made the driver even more energetic. “In those days, Su Mingmei was popular all over the country. From toddlers to grown women, all of them were her fans.” 

Zheng Baozhu smiled and asked, “Isn’t that an exaggeration?” 

“I’m not exaggerating at all. Back then my first girlfriend broke up with me because of Su Mingmei!”

“Oh? Was it because you liked Su Mingmei so much that your girlfriend got jealous?” 

“No, it wasn’t. It was impossible for the two of us to get access to Su Mingmei’s meeting, but one of us managed to secure a ticket…” The driver was a little smug. “Thankfully, I was the lucky one.”

Zheng Baozhu, “……” 

Sir, it seems you won the battle but lost the war. 

“Alas, it’s a pity that such a beauty lived such a short life. Why do you think she didn’t just take a moment before committing suicide?” When the driver said this, he could not but shake his head and sigh. 

Zheng Baozhu did not say anything else. The driver looked at her from the rearview mirror and exclaimed, “Young Miss, you’re going to the film studio. Are you a celebrity?” 

“Not at all,” Zheng Baozhu shook her head. “I haven’t even dipped my toe in the water yet. I just want to broaden my horizons first.” 

“I’m sure you can. Has anyone ever told you that you look like Su Mingmei?”

Zheng Baozhu pretended to be embarrassed and covered her mouth. “I’ve heard people say that before.” 

“Right! When you got in the car, I thought you looked familiar!” After receiving a positive reply, the driver became even more excited. “Look at your face! The more I look, the more you look like Su Mingmei!” 

“Really? Hahaha!” 

The driver continued chatting with Zheng Baozhu. When he sent her off, he even patted his chest and promised that she would become popular in the future. 

Having been showered in the driver’s compliments, there was no way Zheng Baozhu would be able to haggle the fare.

After getting out of the car, Zheng Baozhu went to take a look at her rented house. Although she did not plan to live here, she could stay the night if she ended up on a set that finished work late. The houses around the film studio complex were average. Zheng Baozhu had chosen the most expensive one, but it just barely satisfied her. She had asked the landlord to help her replace all the daily necessities in the room. After seeing that everything was in order, she went to the actors’ union to get an actor’s pass. 

It was not difficult to get an actor’s pass. All she had to do was take a general knowledge exam and complete a short training session. After Zheng Baozhu received the actor’s pass, she was added to a notification group with administrators. Whenever a crew needed actors for performances, management would post an announcement. 

The announcements were usually sent in advance. The news in the group was from the previous day. Since she was already here, Zheng Baozhu decided to go to the actor service department. She heard that they could “pick up pigeons” there. 

She had heard the phrase “pick up a pigeon” from a more experienced group when she was applying for her pass. If someone left a set crew, you would have a chance to “pick up a pigeon” and become a substitute. 

There were many people in the service department, young and old. When Zheng Baozhu began to approach, everyone looked at her. She pretended to fix her hair and stood outside. 

After standing for less than two minutes, a big, sturdy brother rushed over. He was stunned when he saw Zheng Baozhu at the door. He hesitated for a few seconds before he came forward to talk to her. “Sister, are you also here to act?”

Zheng Baozhu nodded.” Yeah.”

“That’s good. I have a few spots to fill. Come with me later,” He said to her. Then, shouted into the room, “Five group performances! Both men and women can do it!” 

Everyone quickly gathered together. Zheng Baozhu followed the rest of the team into the crew van. Zheng Baozhu felt the excitement building inside her. Her brother was also very curious about her. Looking at Zheng Baozhu beside him, he could not help but ask, “Sister, you would have no trouble being an internet celebrity these days. Why did you choose to be a group actor here?”

Zheng Baozhu said, “I don’t want to be an Internet celebrity. I want to be a serious actor.” 

The elder brother smiled, “It’s hard to be a group performer, and it’s hard to get ahead. You see, so many people come and go here every day. Who didn’t come with a dream at the beginning? But after a long time, they either give up or become a bully in the crew.” 

Zheng Baozhu looked at him with a smile. “Big Brother, this is my first time here. Don’t pour cold water on me.”

The eldest brother also laughed, “OK, you’ll perform as a prospect in the foreground later. Do you know what this entails?” 

“I know.” During the training session, Zheng Baozhu listened to her teacher’s lecture. The group performances were divided into different grades. The “crowd” was the most ordinary. The better part was the “prospects”. The best part was the “special arrangement”. This big brother was talking about the role of “prospect” standing at the front of the scene. A prospect could appear in special shots and even have lines, not to mention a relatively higher salary. These roles also had requirements for the appearance and height of the actors. 

Scoring a prospect role was no easy task. Zheng Baozhu had not found just pigeons, but a prospect. She was feeling quite lucky.