Chapter 54 Heading to Stone City
Before leaving, Lv Liping said that she would continue to help Xu Kun keep an eye on Teacher Liu Heng's play, but the script is still just a prototype, and it is estimated that it will take at least the second half of the year for the official crew to start working.
She definitely couldn't think of playing the leading role, as she wasn't that prestigious yet. But she could certainly help Xu Kun get an important and outstanding role.
Xu Kun didn't refuse. If his marriage was ruined, he might even become chauvinistic, but wouldn't that just mess things up?
After putting in so much physical effort and energy, I must get something in return, right?
As it was almost 12 o'clock, Xu Kun did not return the car to Chen Xuebin. He bought some barbecue and wontons on the way, dropped the car at the entrance of the alley and went back to the rental house.
Baoqiang hasn't gone to bed yet. He is holding his phone, thinking about something.
Xu Kun walked in, raised the midnight snack in his hand, and called out, "Hurry up, set up the table first. Is the beer under the bed still there? Take it out, take it all out!"
When the midnight snack was placed on the table, Xu Kun noticed that Baoqiang was listless, so he asked vaguely while eating the skewers: "What's wrong? Can't bear to leave me?"
Bao Qiang shook his head first, then nodded quickly, and finally said hesitantly: "Xiao Hong... No, it was Sister An Jing who called me."
"Why did she call you?"
Xu Kun asked curiously, "How did she know your phone number? Isn't this the new number we just opened this afternoon?"
"Uh~"
Bao Qiang said shyly: "I was just sitting around doing nothing, so I thought I had to let people know that I bought a cell phone, so I sent messages to everyone one by one..."
"Then what did she say?"
"I didn't say anything, just asked me if I was doing well recently and if I could help recommend a crew."
"Then what did you say?"
"I, I said I would help find out."
As Baoqiang spoke, he couldn't help but rub his hands like a fly.
Xu Kun put down the stick in his hand and said seriously: "If you want to play around, I support you with both hands; but if you are serious, then I advise you to give up this idea - you should know in your heart how that girl treated you when she was in the crew. Even if she puts on a smiling face now, it is not because of you."
Baoqiang showed some frustration on his face. He huddled back on the bed with his knees hugged, muttering, "I know this, but..."
"It's just bullshit."
Xu Kun used chopsticks to pry open a bottle of beer and pushed it in front of Baoqiang: "Come, drink with me. When you drink too much, you won't think about anything else."
Baoqiang picked up the bottle, gulped it down, and then put it heavily on the table. He gritted his teeth and said again: "When I become famous, I will marry a very beautiful female college student!"
"You are such a country bumpkin, she is called 'school beauty'."
…………
Before dawn the next day, Xu Kun took the opportunity to go to the toilet and called Chen Xuebin. In addition to asking him to find time to drive the van away, he also briefly told him about Baoqiang and An Jing and asked Chen Xuebin to help keep an eye on it.
Chen Xuebin cursed Xu Kun's grandson while assuring that he would definitely support Baoqiang.
After hanging up the phone and coming out of the toilet, Xu Kun saw Baoqiang waiting in the yard with a suitcase. He immediately waved his hand and said, "Let's go!"
Then he took Baoqiang to the restaurant in front, said goodbye to Brother Lin and Sister Lin, and picked up two packs of Hongtashan cigarettes.
When they reached the aisle, Xu Kun opened the car door, threw one of the Hongtashan cars on the driver's seat, and threw the keys to Baoqiang: "Remember to take the driver's license test later. When we have money in the future, I will take you to drive a luxury car to pick up the school beauties!"
Baoqiang took the car keys and said awkwardly, "Actually, I want to find someone who's not after money..."
"What?"
Xu Kun glared and said, "You want to get plastic surgery?!"
Wang Baoqiang: "..."
After waiting at the entrance of the alley for about ten minutes, the crew's bus arrived.
Xu Kun naturally sat with Li Yixiang. Because most of the people on the bus knew each other, there was no dull moment during the trip. Jiang Shan even sang the song "Water Village in Dreams" a cappella under the lead of Sun Honglei.
Sun Honglei danced in the corridor holding a chair, and his enchanting movements made everyone laugh.
The crew booked a small hotel in Shishi City. The conditions were quite average, but no one, including Jiang Shan, complained - these days mainland actors rarely get upset over treatment, and it’s usually the Hong Kong and Taiwan stars who get upset. But in two years, things will be different.
However, Sun Honglei put forward a separate condition, hoping to get a DVD player in the house.
Only then did Xu Kun realize that Sun Honglei's awe-inspiring elder brother demeanor was the result of Gao Qunshu's prior guidance, and also the result of imitating some performances in "Léon: The Professional".
This gave him more confidence in the crew.
Starting from the next day.
The crew was divided into three groups. One group, led by Jiang Shan, stayed in the hotel to work on the lines and scripts; one group, led by Gao Qunshu, coordinated various resources outside; and the last group, led by Sun Honglei and the cameraman, frequently went to entertainment venues in Shishi to experience life and collect materials.
Xu Kun was naturally among the last group.
As Liu Huaqiang's most capable younger brother, his main task was to take the cameraman and explain in advance that this was not a reporter conducting an open or secret investigation, but rather collecting material for a TV show.
If it were someone else, they would not be able to explain it clearly even if they talked their mouths off, but Xu Kun was always successful every time he showed up.
During this period, Li Yixiang specifically sought out Xu Kun, wanting to learn the movements of "panyan" from him.
It was on the day when Xu Kun encountered the mining disaster that he accidentally demonstrated his cigarette-rolling skills because he felt it was inappropriate to smoke in front of the little girl Zhou Qiqi. Unexpectedly, he was remembered by Li Yixiang.
"Brother Li, why are you learning this?"
Xu Kun asked back with some hesitation.
"Nothing."
Li Yixiang gestured and said, "Isn't the character I play Jin Bao a pickpocket? I want to add some character characteristics so that it will be more memorable. I think the 'twisting cigarette' action you did at the beginning is quite suitable."
It has to fit!
This is the skill Xu Kun learned from a certain thief ancestor in the brothel. Normally, he would plate copper coins or quarters, but there were no such things in the brothel, so he had to use other things instead.
"It's not that I'm hiding my incompetence."
Xu Kun hesitated and said, "It's true that this thing looks simple, but it's hard to learn."
"It's okay. I'll just learn the basics. It'll be fine if I can just do it in the first place."
Therefore, Xu Kun had another task at night, which was to teach Li Yixiang how to make cigarettes.
And also because of Li Yixiang's inspiration, he felt that he should also add some unique memory points to "Han Yueping".
This thing is especially important for supporting roles with fewer lines, because its greatest effect is that it can allow people to form an impression of the character you play in a short period of time.
But this thing is not something you can just add whenever you want.
First, you must fit the character's background and not force it into a role; second, you cannot overshadow Liu Huaqiang, and you cannot affect the filming of the crew.
So what is there among the ruffians that meets these two characteristics?
Walking like a crab, shaking its head and tail?
Xu Kun quickly thought of the attitude he had deliberately put on when he went to meet Gao Qunshu that day - in fact, this was not original, there were similar plots in many Hong Kong gangster movies.
Unexpectedly, as soon as he started trying the next day, he was stopped by He Tiehong, who played Zhou Guoquan.
He Tiehong had a bitter face, hooked Xu Kun's shoulder and said: "Kun'er, it seems that we brothers have had a car accident, look at this..."
It turns out that the memorable point He Tiehong found was also the shaking of the head and tail - although his action was a bit funny and Xu Kun's action was more domineering, the two sides did collide.
After reading He Tiehong's biography, it is confirmed that he had thought of this a long time ago. What else can Xu Kun do? He can only think of other ideas.
(End of this chapter)
