"I'll check the time."
Zhang Yang wondered what excuse he could use to postpone their date. Ideally, there wouldn't be any showings at the cinema tonight.
"Good news!"
He logged into the private cinema's website on his phone and checked the listings. Zhang Yang's heart lifted.
There was a showing tonight, but it started at 10:25. He could seize the opportunity first, then go watch the movie with Nazha.
"The movie starts at ten thirty. We have plenty of time if we get there at ten." Zhang Yang put away his phone and looked at Nazha, relaxed.
"Isn't that really late?" Nazha frowned instinctively.
If the movie didn't start until ten thirty, they wouldn't get back to the hotel until one in the morning. That would seriously affect her sleep. What if she couldn't perform well on set the next day?
Thinking of that, Nazha voiced her concerns.
But after hearing her out, Zhang Yang wore an amused expression.
"Did I say something wrong?" Nazha furrowed her brows.
If Zhang Yang couldn't give her a satisfactory explanation, she'd eat an extra bowl of rice tonight and make him pay for it—big time!
"You're not wrong." Zhang Yang's expression softened, and he smiled. "You just weren't paying attention when the production team went over the schedule. We don't start shooting until one tomorrow afternoon, and it's my battle scene. You have the day off."
There was actually a schedule like that?
The blush that hadn't quite faded from Nazha's face returned. She was obviously embarrassed, but still put up a stubborn front. "Anyone can get distracted. It was just a coincidence."
Zhang Yang gave her a thumbs-up. "Nazha, sometimes you really are like a duck."
"A duck?" Nazha thought it over, then nodded. "Ducklings are pretty cute."
Zhang Yang: "..."
"After a duck dies, the only thing that stays hard is its beak."
Nazha: ?
Nazha's pretty face turned bright red. She was furious.
She was mad at Zhang Yang for teasing her, but even more annoyed with herself for not getting the joke and thinking it was a compliment.
"My mouth's stubborn, is it? I'll bite you to death!"
"Hey, as if!"
Zhang Yang and Nazha circled a chair, playing a game of catch-the-chicken for a while.
Nazha planted her hands on her hips, her chest heaving. "Apologize, and take me out for something delicious tonight."
"Sure." Zhang Yang didn't refuse. He even looked up a Xinjiang restaurant online and took Nazha there.
He'd make sure she was in a good mood first. If the opportunity that night kept him from getting away, it'd be easier to placate her.
The Xinjiang big-plate chicken and stir-fried rice noodles were both medium-spicy and delicious.
When it was about time, Zhang Yang dropped Nazha off at the hotel, then returned to Hengdian World Studios. His actor's ID got him in without a problem.
He went straight to the scenic area set up to resemble Along the River During the Qingming Festival. It was bustling today. Several cranes stood around the pavilion in the lake behind Fan Tower, and bright spotlights illuminated the set until it was as bright as day.
"They should be shooting the movie version of The Four Great Constables here." Zhang Yang recalled, his eyes lighting up.
The Four Great Constables was directed by Chen Jiashang and starred Deng Chao, Liu Yifei, Zheng Zhongji, Zou Zhaolong, Huang Laogou, and others. It was considered a big-budget production.
But whenever Hong Kong filmmakers tackled this kind of subject, the result always felt small-time, or like a brainless attempt to imitate foreign blockbusters. They'd shamelessly ride on the hype without giving the story any thought.
This particular The Four Great Constables was notorious as a terrible movie. Somehow, a Chinese wuxia film had managed to cram in elements from Fantastic Four, Werewolf, and Resident Evil, along with superpower tropes from X-Men and One Piece.
It called itself The Four Great Constables, but it was more like fanfiction about people with superpowers. Back then, Zhang Yang had gone to see it to support Fairy Sister, and the whole thing had left him stunned.
"The Four Great Constables has plenty of big names in the cast. No wonder an opportunity might come up." Zhang Yang debated whether to spend his Character Points.
In his judgment, opportunity events involved big names in the industry, whether current or future. If he seized an opportunity, he'd earn their gratitude and build connections.
The Four Great Constables had plenty of big names. It'd be hard for him to figure out on his own who the opportunity involved.
If he could learn in advance how to seize it, he might be able to make a decision ahead of time.
And even if he couldn't decide, having the method in hand meant he could always solve the person's problem.
But soon, Zhang Yang realized there was no need to agonize over it.
As soon as he reached the lakeside set, which had been transformed into a prince's manor, the security staff and production assistants stationed around the perimeter stopped him. "Hello. They're filming inside, so you can't enter without a pass."
Zhang Yang knew the drill. If he knew someone on the production, he could call and have them come out to escort him in.
"I forgot my pass. Come on, take a look at my face. Do I look like someone who shouldn't be allowed on set?" Zhang Yang tried flashing his winning smile.
He'd tried that before. People thought he was handsome, assumed he wasn't a bad guy and might even be one of the actors, and let him in.
"I don't know you. What's wrong with your face?" The older man looked guileless and spoke with a Henan accent.
Zhang Yang: "..."
Another older security guard nearby spoke up. "Old Meng and I are both face-blind. We check ID, not faces."
Zhang Yang: "..."
A few girls nearby burst out laughing.
They were extras from a TV production nearby. They'd come to see their idol—and pay their respects.
Zhang Yang: "..."
Laughing at me, are you? Believe it or not, I'll make Liu Yifei come out and get me.
Zhang Yang took out his phone, about to call Lin Feng.
With Lin Feng's connections and standing, getting someone to bring him onto the set would take a single word.
If he could get onto the set, he decided, he'd spend Character Points to check the guide.
When the people around him saw what he was doing, they quickly stopped laughing.
Did this young man have some kind of connections?
"..."
The call went through, but nobody answered.
After waiting for over a minute, Zhang Yang's face began to stiffen.
At this hour, Lin Feng had probably had too much to drink and wasn't paying attention to his phone.
He could also call Lin Feng's assistant and get to Lin Feng indirectly.
But was that really necessary?
"Hello? Oh."
"Mm, mm."
"All right, I understand..."
Zhang Yang smoothly turned and walked off to one side, disappearing around the corner a moment later.
Everyone at the scene: "..."
"Phew."
Zhang Yang put his phone away and rubbed his face.
As long as he didn't feel awkward, the awkwardness belonged to everyone else.
As for calling Liu Yifei, they'd been in the Chinese Paladin 1 production together, but they weren't close.
Liu Yifei and Tangren had fallen out later. Even Old Hu didn't exchange WeChat contacts with her until 2023; before that, they'd barely interacted.
Of course, Old Hu could have gotten her number if he'd wanted it. He just hadn't had a reason to.
He could have asked Tang Yan for her number, too, but reaching out to make friends for no reason was a major taboo.
Faced with the situation, he decided to find a place to climb in himself.
A little over ten minutes later, Zhang Yang stood beside the artificial lake in silence.
In a huge filming location like this, there wasn't a single spot where he could climb over the wall. Who would've thought?
Forget it. He couldn't even get inside the set, so knowing how to seize the opportunity wouldn't help. At least he'd saved a Character Point.
After checking the time, Zhang Yang turned to leave. But as he passed the staff entrance where he'd first arrived, he suddenly heard a commotion rise from inside the set.
"What's going on?"
Zhang Yang's expression changed, and he immediately ran toward the entrance.
As he passed a fence, he saw two security guards standing there get called over by a production assistant and run toward the set.
"Perfect." While everyone's attention was on the filming area, Zhang Yang braced one hand on the fence and vaulted inside.
He didn't take the main path. Instead, he crouched and crept along the edge. Two minutes later, he reached the center of the set and saw a crowd gathered in front of a building, talking about something.
"What's going on?"
Curious, Zhang Yang swept his gaze around, then decided to follow the edge of the nearest military tent.
When he reached the tent, he spotted a woman wearing a coat. He went right up to her and asked familiarly, "What happened?"
The woman seemed startled. She turned to him and said, "Chao Ge's stunt double fell."
Deng Chao's stunt double fell?
Could saving the stunt double be the opportunity he was supposed to seize this time?
If he saved the stunt double, plenty of people—including Deng Chao and the director—would be grateful to him.
Too bad he'd missed his chance.
Come to think of it, the woman's voice sounded familiar.
Zhang Yang turned to look at her face. The next second, he froze.
His inner monologue: Holy crap, Liu Yifei!
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