Chapter 10

Outside the hospital room, Wang Tianlin paced the corridor, unsure whether it was the hot weather or his anxious heart that made him break out in a sweat after just a few minutes.

Zheng Shaoqiu was lying on the hospital bed, receiving intravenous nutrition. The diagnosis had already come back: nothing serious, just extreme fatigue, lack of sleep, and a mild cold.

The doctor said that Zheng Shaoqiu needed to rest for at least a week before he could continue working, otherwise, he might easily develop more serious health issues, even sudden death.

The problem was that the episodes of "Chu Liuxiang" already shot would be broadcast in five days, and it would be too late to catch up by then.

After much thought, Wang Tianlin still couldn't come up with a good solution. He returned to the hospital room, where Zhao Yazhi and Wang Mingquan were present, and a temporary actor he couldn't remember the name of was sitting in the corner. Yes, that temporary actor was Kang Jianfei.

As for the others, they had already left after learning that Zheng Shaoqiu was fine.

After receiving the intravenous nutrition and resting for a while, Zheng Shaoqiu was now fully awake, though still somewhat weak. Seeing Wang Tianlin's troubled expression, Zheng Shaoqiu spoke up, "Uncle Tianlin, I think I'll be fine by this afternoon. We can continue shooting tomorrow. There's not much left, and I should be able to manage."

Zhao Yazhi and Wang Mingquan remained silent. As friends, they didn't want to see Zheng Shaoqiu work while sick, but they couldn't advise against it in front of the director.

Wang Tianlin waved his hand, "No, no, half a day of rest isn't enough. The doctor said you need at least a week."

Zheng Shaoqiu replied, "But the TV station is waiting for the broadcast."

Wang Tianlin frowned and thought for a long time before reluctantly saying, "Let's do this: you rest for two days first. If you're better, we'll continue shooting. If not, we'll find another solution."

With these words, the matter was settled, and the others remained silent.

Kang Jianfei, sitting in the corner, suddenly spoke up, "Director, can we use a stand-in?"

"Stand-in? In Hong Kong, who can replace Mr. Qiu? His face is a golden signboard; no one can replace him!" Wang Tianlin immediately rejected Kang Jianfei's suggestion.

Kang Jianfei calmly said, "How about this: we move Mr. Qiu's bed to the set. All the action scenes will be done by a stand-in, and Mr. Qiu will only do the dialogue scenes. Even some medium and long shots of the dialogue scenes can be done by a stand-in. We can add a few close-ups of Mr. Qiu in post-production. This way, Mr. Qiu won't be so tired and can easily finish the remaining scenes. He can even keep his IV drip on, and we'll just shoot him from the waist up."

By the time Kang Jianfei finished speaking, Wang Tianlin had already understood. He couldn't help but praise, "This is a good idea. Mr. Qiu, what do you think?"

Zheng Shaoqiu nodded, "I think it's a good idea."

Wang Tianlin looked at Kang Jianfei meaningfully and asked, "You seem to be Mr. Ding's person, right?"

Kang Jianfei nodded, "My uncle is the assistant lighting technician on the 'Chu Liuxiang' set, Wu Chenggang. I'm currently learning from Mr. Ding."

"Looks like you have a good understanding of TV production. Did you work at TVB before?" Wang Tianlin remembered that Wu Chenggang had transferred from TVB and assumed Kang Jianfei had also worked there.

Kang Jianfei smiled, "No, I just arrived from the mainland last month."

"What, you just came from the mainland?" Wang Tianlin was shocked. He never expected Kang Jianfei to be a recent arrival from the mainland.

Not only Wang Tianlin, but Zheng Shaoqiu, Zhao Yazhi, and Wang Mingquan were also surprised. Kang Jianfei's confident suggestion and his unexpected background left a deep impression on them. They would find it hard to forget his name.

At that time, no one in the mainland had produced long TV series. CCTV had to send people to Europe to learn production methods and techniques to produce commercial TV series. So, Kang Jianfei couldn't have been involved in TV production in the mainland.

This meant that Kang Jianfei's suggestion was based on just one week of experience on set.

He was a TV genius!

Wang Tianlin, shocked, decided to cultivate Kang Jianfei. However, he wouldn't say it outright to avoid making Kang Jianfei overconfident. Wang Tianlin planned to let Kang Jianfei start as a production assistant in the next project and observe his performance.

If Kang Jianfei performed well, Wang Tianlin would promote him to an assistant. If not, he would let Kang Jianfei continue to learn or give up on him.

Kang Jianfei didn't know what Wang Tianlin was thinking and didn't care much about it. He had his own plans.

Before his rebirth, Kang Jianfei had many skills, but his best was reading people. He had done many underhanded things to climb the ladder, almost to the point of being ruthless. However, after he truly succeeded, he realized that some things could be handled more tactfully. Blocking others' paths also blocked his own.

In his previous life, Kang Jianfei lived in hatred until he was 13. The years in the children's welfare home were the most comfortable, and the old director had helped him shed much of his anger. After that, his漂泊 in society made him pursue fame and fortune by any means necessary, until he became more tactful and reserved after the age of 35.

Now, in Hong Kong, Kang Jianfei had many paths to choose from, so he didn't want to succeed through underhanded means. Such success often came with hidden dangers and could lead to a downfall.

At Clear Water Bay Studios, he had been waiting for an opportunity. When Zheng Shaoqiu fainted, he seized the chance to connect with Wang Tianlin and prepare for his next move.

...

...

Wang Tianlin didn't continue to inquire about Kang Jianfei's background but asked Zheng Shaoqiu, "Mr. Qiu, do you have a stand-in in mind?"

Zheng Shaoqiu glanced at Kang Jianfei and smiled, "I think Fei is a good choice."

Zheng Shaoqiu was returning the favor, as Kang Jianfei had carried him to the car and then helped solve the problem.

Choosing a stand-in was a minor matter, and Wang Tianlin didn't want to contradict Zheng Shaoqiu. If Kang Jianfei's acting wasn't good, they could always replace him during shooting. Wang Tianlin agreed, "Alright, let Fei be the stand-in. Mr. Qiu, you rest for half a day, and we'll continue shooting tomorrow."

Just as Wang Tianlin finished speaking, they heard heavy footsteps outside, and the floor seemed to tremble.

"Mr. Qiu, are you okay?" A chubby woman ran in and rushed to Zheng Shaoqiu's bedside. She was Zheng Shaoqiu's live-in girlfriend, Shen Dianxia.

Wang Mingquan, who knew Shen Dianxia well, as they had been in the same female vocal group, comforted her, "Don't worry, Xia. The doctor said Mr. Qiu is fine, just very tired. He'll be better after a few days of rest."

Wang Tianlin stood up, "With Xia here to take care of him, there's nothing for us to do. Let's all go home and rest. We've all been exhausted these past few days. If we don't leave now, the reporters will block us downstairs, and we won't be able to get out."

Zhao Yazhi, Wang Mingquan, and Kang Jianfei also said their goodbyes and left the hospital.

After leaving the hospital, Wang Tianlin drove to the studio. They had to shoot many stand-in scenes the next day, and although the plot remained the same, the camera angles needed significant adjustments. He had to discuss this with the cinematographer in advance.

After Wang Tianlin left, Wang Mingquan drove up and asked Zhao Yazhi and Kang Jianfei, "Where are you going? I can give you a ride."

Zhao Yazhi politely declined, "No need, Sister. My home is on Hong Kong Island, and I can take a taxi. If you drive me, you'll have to make a big detour."

Kang Jianfei said, "I don't need a ride either. I live nearby."

"Then I'll be off." Wang Mingquan waved to them and drove away.

Kang Jianfei and Zhao Yazhi were still in their costumes, but the hot weather allowed them to remove the outer layers, leaving them in shirts and shorts. However, their cloth shoes made them stand out on the street.

Zhao Yazhi stood by the roadside waiting for a taxi. Taxis seemed to pass by one after another when you weren't waiting, but when you were, you could wait for half an hour without seeing one. A few of Zhao Yazhi's fans even ran over to get her autograph and left happily.

Under the tree, Zhao Yazhi's face was flushed with heat, like a blooming rose in summer. Her anxious and charming demeanor made Kang Jianfei's heart race.

In the future, most beautiful women were made up, but Zhao Yazhi was naturally beautiful. She had washed off her makeup in the hospital restroom, and her natural beauty was still captivating.

Kang Jianfei felt a strong urge to pursue her, regardless of her marital status. After all, she would divorce in a few years, and he felt no guilt about pursuing her.

Kang Jianfei stayed to accompany Zhao Yazhi while waiting for a taxi. Seeing her forehead glistening with sweat, he suggested, "Sister Zhi, let's have some afternoon tea and cool off in a tea restaurant."

Zhao Yazhi was indeed very hot and was fanning herself with her script. She nodded, "Alright."

They found a clean and hygienic tea restaurant on the street. It was only a little past two in the afternoon, and the restaurant had few customers.

"What would you like to order?" A waiter ran over and, upon seeing Zhao Yazhi, exclaimed, "Su Rongrong, oh, you're Sister Zhi!"

"Shh!" Kang Jianfei gestured for the waiter to keep it down and said, "I'll have a cup of black tea and a few pineapple buns. What about you, Sister Zhi?"

Zhao Yazhi smiled at the waiter, "A cup of milk tea, please."

The waiter looked enviously at Kang Jianfei, who was sitting with Zhao Yazhi, and happily went to prepare the tea.

When the tea and snacks arrived, Zhao Yazhi watched Kang Jianfei eat the pineapple buns and asked curiously, "Do you have afternoon tea in the mainland?"

Kang Jianfei laughed, "There's no afternoon tea in the mainland. Things have improved a bit in recent years, but we can just about fill our stomachs."

Zhao Yazhi, not very familiar with Kang Jianfei, stirred her milk tea with a spoon and, after a moment of silence, said, "Kang..."

"Call me Fei," Kang Jianfei said.

Zhao Yazhi advised, "Fei, I think Uncle Tianlin has plans to mentor you. You should try to impress him."

"Thank you for the advice, Sister Zhi, but my ambitions lie elsewhere," Kang Jianfei said with a deliberate air of mystery.

Zhao Yazhi became even more curious about Kang Jianfei. Most mainlanders in Hong Kong were humble and hardworking, grateful for any stable job. Even Hong Kongers would be thrilled if they gained Wang Tianlin's favor. But Kang Jianfei just smiled, as if he didn't care about Wang Tianlin's mentorship, and casually said his ambitions lay elsewhere.

The more unusual his behavior, the more it piqued her interest, which was exactly Kang Jianfei's goal.

Zhao Yazhi, intrigued, asked, "You don't want to stay in the production team? What do you want to do?"

Kang Jianfei replied, "I just don't want to shoot TV series. The budget is too small, and the schedule is too tight. I want to start my own film company, be my own boss, and sell movies overseas."

Zhao Yazhi found this amusing. She thought Kang Jianfei was too arrogant. He had been in Hong Kong for less than a month and was already dreaming of starting a film company. Was he under the illusion that making movies was that easy? She had been in the entertainment industry for almost ten years and still had to work hard to get roles in TV series, and she was always nervous about her performances in movies.

Seeing Zhao Yazhi's amused silence, Kang Jianfei asked, "Don't you believe me?"

Zhao Yazhi gently criticized, "Fei, we just met, so I shouldn't say too much. But I think you should be more down-to-earth."

Given Zhao Yazhi's fame and status, it was not out of place for her to advise a newcomer from the mainland. She was being genuinely kind.

Kang Jianfei raised his index finger and smiled, "Do you believe I can start my own film company within a year?"

Zhao Yazhi was speechless. She realized that Kang Jianfei was a bit crazy and impossible to reason with. She could only smile, "I wish you success."

To make someone remember you, you need to give them continuous surprises, especially when they don't expect it. Without giving Zhao Yazhi a special and surprising experience, why would a married, famous star pay attention to a nobody like him, let alone be tempted to have an affair?

___

Oh, those asking for more updates, the book is still in the new book phase and is flying solo. I update twice a day, at midnight and noon. I updated over 7,000 words the day before yesterday and over 6,000 words yesterday, which is quite a lot.

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