novellhall Chapter 2: My Sister Admits Defeat!
Chapter 2: My Sister Admits Defeat!
Just as he was figuring out how to mooch off Mark a little longer and see if the lead actor would contribute any more attributes...
A voice called out to him.
Hey! You, Asian kid!
Chen Xun's heart tightened.
I thought I was going to be harassed again.
I turned my head and looked.
It's that Latino stagehand.
There was also a tall, thin white man wearing headphones standing next to him.
Judging from his attire, he looks like an assistant director.
"You died quite peacefully just now; at least you didn't move!"
The assistant director looked him up and down.
Chen Xun: "..."
Is this considered a compliment?
Chen Xun ignored his speechlessness and quickly said:
"In the next shot, there's a background scene that needs an Asian face that looks like it has a story but doesn't steal the spotlight, just walking past the alley entrance for about three seconds."
"Twenty dollars, cash, take it or leave it?"
Twenty dollars!
Chen Xun's heart skipped a beat.
This is equivalent to the pay he would receive for playing a corpse for two or three days.
Now you can get it in just three seconds!
"Dry!"
Chen Xun did not hesitate.
His voice was louder than usual.
"OK, come with me, I'll find you a seat."
Chen Xun was led to the entrance of the alley.
The assistant director simply pointed in a direction:
"Walk naturally to that trash can, then turn out the door, understand?"
"clear!"
Taking advantage of the brief moment when the lighting was on, Chen Xun quickly surveyed the surroundings.
At the same time, he was mentally calculating the attributes he had just picked up.
His composure allowed him to stand in this position without appearing intimidated at all.
He also found a [reaction].
It contains some subtle understandings of body control.
Perhaps it can be used to describe walking posture.
"Background, action!"
"The assistant director shouted."
Chen Xun took a deep breath and started walking.
He didn't walk upright like ordinary people.
Instead, it was a subconscious use of the control of the core muscle groups in that "reaction".
My steps carried a slight sense of fatigue.
At the same time, his composure allowed him to look straight ahead.
It neither focuses on the lead actor nor wavers.
It felt as if I was simply walking through this familiar alley, heading towards a specific destination.
Three seconds passed in the blink of an eye!
He walked smoothly to the trash can and disappeared from the camera's view.
"Cut! Good!"
The assistant director's voice came through, sounding satisfied: "Alright, kid, your job's done. Go collect your pay!"
……
Holding the crumpled twenty-dollar green bill in his hand, Chen Xun stood on the street in the sunset.
This is more than just twenty dollars.
This is the first step he took in making a change!
Holding the crumpled twenty-dollar bill, Chen Xun didn't go straight home.
He took a detour to the local community supermarket and carefully selected items from the discount section.
A box of chicken breasts nearing its expiration date.
A few green peppers that were a little wilted.
There was also a large bag of the cheapest pasta.
He wants to do something with this "first pot of gold" today.
Walk through streets covered in graffiti.
Enter an apartment building with mottled exterior walls.
The place is filled with a faint, mixed smell of marijuana and disinfectant.
The motion-activated lights in the hallway are intermittent.
He has to rely on his phone's flashlight to avoid stepping on his neighbor's carelessly parked bicycle.
Click!
The key turned the lock several times with difficulty before it finally opened.
Behind the door is an area that could barely be called a living room.
It's actually an extension of the corridor.
It was piled high with cardboard boxes, old magazines, and two crumpled suitcases.
The air was filled with the aroma of food.
"You're back?"
A woman's voice came from the open-plan kitchenette.
Accompanied by the crisp sound of the spatula colliding.
That's Shen Man.
His classmates at USC.
She is also his only roommate now.
The two shared this house near Koreatown.
An old apartment with only one actual bedroom and a pigeon coop converted from a storage room.
That's why I live here.
It's purely because it's cheap!
"I was lucky today, I got a role as a background character with camera shots!"
Chen Xun shook the shopping bag in his hand, trying to make his tone sound as relaxed as possible:
"Bought some groceries, having an extra meal!"
Shen Man peeked out from the kitchen.
She had her hair tied in a neat ponytail, and fine beads of sweat glistened on her forehead.
Despite her plain face, one could still discern her delicate features.
However, the sharpness that once belonged to a USC graduate in his eyes has been worn down considerably by reality.
All that's left is exhaustion.
"Great job, Chen Xun! At least you're not just a corpse actor anymore!"
She smiled, took the bag, and expertly inspected the ingredients:
"Wow, it's organic! Are you celebrating today?"
Chen Xun did not respond.
He noticed that two packed cardboard boxes were already placed next to the stove.
More than half of Shen Man's belongings in the living room are gone.
An ominous premonition rose in my mind.
"What are you doing...?"
Shen Man was stir-frying the mixed rice in the pan with leftover ham and onions.
He paused for a moment, his back to him, his voice muffled:
"Tickets for the day after tomorrow, Pudong! I'm done, I give up."
Chen Xun fell silent.
He walked into what was supposed to be the living room.
He plopped down on the secondhand sofa, whose springs were practically bursting out of their sockets, and it creaked loudly.
Shen Man's resume is much more impressive than his.
Graduated from the Directing Department of USC.
Student works have won awards.
He speaks fluent English and is quick-witted.
But once I got to Hollywood, I realized that what it has in abundance is talent and dreams.
She ran around to film crews.
I handed over my resume.
I've done jobs that paid me or didn't pay me.
In the end, like Chen Xun, he was reduced to making a living as a day laborer and temporary assistant on film sets.
A top student majoring in directing.
Most of the time was spent serving coffee and organizing scripts that nobody ever read.
"My professional internship is about to expire, and the lousy company I was affiliated with has gone out of business."
Shen Man scooped the fried rice into two plates, and then quickly stir-fried a small dish with the chicken breast and green peppers that Chen Xun had bought:
"I've sent out hundreds of resumes, but they either disappeared without a trace, or they replied with emails saying they admire my talent, but unfortunately..."
"Damn! Hollywood's 'regrets' are more punctual than my period!"
She placed the two dishes on the old coffee table that served as a dining table, and then sat cross-legged on the carpet.
"Look at us, USC, sounds awesome, right?"
"Even after you're out here, you'll still have to compete with those high school dropouts who smuggled themselves in from Mexico for a meager twenty-dollar a day job, won't you?"
"I have to pray the union doesn't come to investigate, otherwise I won't even get this twenty dollars!"
Chen Xun picked up his fork and poked at the fried rice on his plate.
Shen Man has always been a very good cook, able to make the taste of her hometown using the cheapest ingredients.
But at this moment, he couldn't swallow the food.
"My parents called again yesterday!"
Shen Man chewed her food, her eyes somewhat vacant:
"When asked what I'm persisting in, they tell me how well things are developing in China now, how so-and-so among my classmates has already independently directed a web series, and so-and-so has joined a major talent agency..."
"I told them I was chasing my dreams in Hollywood, and they asked me, 'How much is your dream worth per pound? Can you even afford next month's rent?'"
She looked up at Chen Xun, her eyes a little red.
But she forced a smile:
"I thought about it, but I can't answer it!"
"Chen Xun, my dream might not even be worth six hundred dollars a month in rent!"
Chen Xun felt a tightness in his chest.
He wanted to say something encouraging.
For example, "Hang in there a little longer" or "The opportunity is just around the corner".
But looking at Shen Man's eyes, which had lost their luster.
These words seem so pale and powerless.
Isn't he the same?
If it weren't for that sudden appearance of a cheat code.
His fate will probably be even worse than Shen Man's.
At least Shen Man can return to China; she has an education and a way out.
What about him?
Should I go back to China and continue being a struggling actor in Hengdian World Studios?
The area was engulfed in carnage, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood.