CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36 HAS A HIDDEN PLOT? I HAD NO IDEA!

The deal was finally struck. After all, even a mosquito’s leg is still meat.

Books with poor data commanded very low copyright fees. Sun Dasheng wasn’t short on cash and directly offered to double the price.

A few struggling authors spammed the QQ chat with ’kowtowing in thanks to the boss’ emojis. They stated, "If the boss has any request, it is our duty to comply."

That was exactly what Sun Dasheng was waiting to hear. He paid them to adapt their own work.

The authors were a bit dumbfounded. Could it be that my accursed talent has finally found a patron?

One by one, they eagerly accepted the assignment.

With the scripts handled, the next step was the filming team.

「」

The next day.

Film and Art Vocational College.

The campus wasn’t large, but the buildings within possessed an artistic charm.

In the teacher’s office, Ding Muchen sat at her desk. As one of the teachers staying on campus during the winter break, she looked at the two students from her class standing before her, then glanced at the man beside them.

She asked again, her tone uncertain, "Is everything you just said true?"

Hearing her teacher’s question, Fang Sihan grew anxious. "Teacher Ding, you can check online! Director Sun’s Xinli Media is a legitimate company."

"That ten-million-yuan project is the total investment for a whole series of short dramas. When you break it down, the investment for each individual short is normal."

Ding Muchen looked it up online. The information her students gave her was true. Xinli Media had a small registered capital, but the company that acquired it, Nuokai Capital, was a large investment firm with over a billion in registered funds. Their finances should be solid; he hadn’t just been talking big.

She immediately stood up and extended her hand warmly. "Welcome to our school for your inspection, Director Sun. I was rude just now, and I apologize."

Ding Muchen was a graduate of the Shanghai Drama Institute’s acting program. Her posture and appearance were both top-notch, and even a thick down jacket couldn’t conceal her impressive assets. Compared to the two eighteen-year-old girls beside her, she exuded the additional charm of an intellectual woman.

They shook hands, a light touch before they let go. Sun Dasheng’s gentlemanly conduct greatly improved Ding Muchen’s opinion of him. He wasn’t like some investors, fat-headed and greasy like a pig’s trotter, who would grab her hand upon meeting and refuse to let go, always trying to take advantage.

"Since we’re on winter break, the students I can still reach are mostly working part-time. I’m not sure if we’ll have enough people to meet your needs, Director Sun," Ding Muchen explained as she led him to the reception room and served him a cup of tea.

"No problem. Just call them all over," Sun Dasheng said with a wave of his hand.

Having completed their task of making the introduction, the two girls headed back. They had to go wrap up their work with the e-commerce livestream. One should always finish what they start.

Sun Dasheng was left to wait alone in the reception room, with Ding Muchen keeping him company. She had graduated from the Shanghai Drama Institute, then pursued a master’s degree at the Communication University; she was only twenty-six this year.

It was no wonder she had become the head teacher of an art school’s acting major at such a young age. She clearly had real substance.

In their conversation, he learned of her concerns about the rigid social stratification in the film and television industry. Many acting graduates had no prospects. All the good resources were snapped up by a bunch of second-generation elites.

Sun Dasheng completely agreed with her. You just had to look at the kind of garbage being produced for television nowadays. Putting the storylines aside, the sight of capitalists’ ugly children was enough to make one want to gouge their own eyes out. It was just painful to watch!

「」

Two hours later.

The school’s multimedia classroom.

Upon receiving their teacher’s message, most students who still had acting ambitions had rushed over, many having to take leave from their part-time jobs. Quite a few students had remained in Shanghai for the break; the classroom was packed. At a glance, there were about a hundred or so people.

"Everyone, please quiet down." Ding Muchen stood at the podium and switched on the microphone.

The room gradually fell silent.

"Today, we have the honor of hosting Director Sun from Xinli Media at our school. Let’s welcome him with a round of applause."

Thunderous applause erupted. The students were very cooperative, likely because they had heard that this Director Sun was here to select people for a shoot and were eager to make a good impression.

"Alright, I won’t waste your time with any motivational speeches. You’ve all had your fill of that chicken soup already."

A wave of laughter spread through the room. This investor was a little different from the ones they were used to.

He got straight to the point, first introducing his company and the short film project they were about to launch.

"Any students who are not interested in acting in this type of production may leave now."

He finished speaking and looked out at the students. Not a single person moved. Apparently, they didn’t even get opportunities for this kind of short film.

"Alright then. We’ll begin the auditions according to your seating order. We will announce the results for those who pass on the spot. For those who don’t, please don’t be discouraged. Our company has many more projects in the pipeline, and we will definitely give you all priority for future roles."

The auditions then commenced. Each person had a three-minute interview slot, with questions chosen at random from a wide variety. They covered the three major categories: directing, acting, and post-production. Sun Dasheng was using the school’s test questions from previous years, which Ding Muchen had given him. There were no trick questions, only topics familiar to everyone.

After more than five hours, the auditions finally concluded. The list of those who passed was announced immediately. A total of twenty-four people had been selected, just enough to form two complete production teams.

The room exploded.

*"How come all the top students were eliminated, while those with bad grades were all accepted?"*

*"Is this a joke? Wang Lifen, the disgrace of the Directing Department who fails every year, actually passed the audition, while I, who get top marks every year, didn’t?"*

*"It’s the same for the Acting Department! They specifically picked the worst students. None of the good ones got in."*

*"Well, this is interesting. Directing, acting, cinematography, lighting, props, editing, dubbing... they picked the students from the bottom of the class for every single role."*

*"There has to be some foul play, right?"*

*"Foul play isn’t surprising, it happens everywhere. But to see it taken this far is a first."*

*"Aren’t they just making a fool of us?"*

「」

The students with good grades were filled with indignation, while the group with poor grades was completely baffled.

Foul play? I had no idea!

As the outcry swelled, Ding Muchen found she couldn’t suppress it. Not that she wanted to. Standing on the podium, she looked at Sun Dasheng, waiting for his explanation. She was just as perplexed by this result. She didn’t know if he had done it on purpose or by accident.

If he had made these choices deliberately, then all she could think was:

You’re a really strange one, aren’t you? Did you come to our school today just to pick up trash?

Sun Dasheng stood at the front, his expression unchanged. "I understand the students’ emotions, but this is our company’s final decision. I ask for your understanding."

Understanding? There wasn’t a shred of it to be found.

With public sentiment boiling, and considering he would need to come back here to recruit again in the future, he couldn’t afford to burn his bridges.

He explained, "This selection was based entirely on the specific needs of shooting short dramas. It’s not that you all aren’t outstanding, but rather that our casting requirements differ from those of traditional film and television."

This was, of course, a load of bull. Any production, regardless of type, needed the most talented people in the industry. But it was enough to placate the eighteen- and nineteen-year-old students below.

The students who didn’t pass the audition dispersed, muttering complaints.

Those who had passed, still in a state of confusion, signed contracts on the spot with the HR personnel the company had brought along.

"Director Sun, I’d like to invite you to dinner. You must not refuse."

A powerful curiosity about the man before her had awoken within Ding Muchen. What kind of person could possibly make such an outrageous decision?