Chapter 7

Aming's outburst immediately resonated with the other crew members.

It was already pitiful enough to come and shoot a C-grade film, but even more pitiful was being treated like dirt.

Even if they were just down-and-out filmmakers, they couldn't tolerate such bullying. After all, even clay has its limits.

"Damn it, I'm not doing this anymore!" "I'm not doing this anymore either!" "Whoever wants to do this lousy job can do it, I'm out!"... Everyone, filled with righteous indignation, cursed and walked out together.

Seeing that nearly twenty people in the crew had left, leaving only seven or eight, Xia Tian immediately panicked.

"Look at what you've done!" He pointed at Ahua's nose and shouted, "Go and apologize to them right away and get them to stay. Otherwise, if the movie can't be finished, Brother Bing won't spare you first."

Seeing that more than half the people had left, Ahua realized he had caused a major disaster and hurriedly chased after them. He bowed and apologized, begging and pleading, almost kneeling to them.

"Brother Tian, look at him now, doesn't he look like a dog?" Chen Yixin pointed at Ahua, who was bowing and apologizing, his face almost breaking into a smile, and laughed.

Hearing this, everyone laughed.

"If he had known this would happen, why didn't he think of it earlier!" Xia Tian shook his head. "Everyone just wanted to earn a living, but he wouldn't even let us do that. It's his own fault for pushing us so hard!"

"The director is right. If it weren't for my mother's illness and the urgent need for surgery, I wouldn't have agreed to shoot this kind of film," the lead actor Luo Qinghao sighed.

"That's true. Ahua is too bullying. He used to withhold our salaries and take advantage of the female actors," a female actor also complained.

Xia Tian nodded. "It seems he's truly a scoundrel, not worth any sympathy. But everyone has worked so hard, and the movie is almost finished. To be honest, if we leave now, we won't get a penny, which would be a huge loss. I think we should call everyone back and finish the movie."

Hearing this, everyone nodded. If it weren't for the salary, they would have left with the others.

"Brother Tian, why are you helping him?" Chen Yixin asked in confusion. "Let him mess things up, and let Brother Bing's movie fail. Wouldn't that be better?"

"Yixin, harming others for your own benefit is too evil; sacrificing yourself for others is too difficult; and harming others without benefiting yourself is too stupid. Think about it, even if the movie can't be finished, what good does it do us?" Xia Tian asked.

Chen Yixin shook his head. Apart from seeing Ahua's downfall, there was no other benefit.

"If the movie isn't finished, our hard work today will be in vain, and I'm sure Ahua will blame us, saying we incited the strike. That will be another trouble. On the contrary, if we get everyone to stay and finish the movie, we'll be the heroes. Even if Brother Bing is ruthless, he'll owe us a favor," Xia Tian explained.

Chen Yixin nodded in realization. "Brother Tian, you really think clearly."

Xia Tian smiled. "In the future, don't act impulsively. Think more before you act. Alright, let's go and chase them down now."

...

Xia Tian led Chen Yixin and others to chase after them, coaxing and persuading, and finally managed to get everyone to stay, except for Aming, who was the script supervisor. He had left the earliest and most urgently, and they couldn't catch up with him.

"Look at what you've done. Without a script supervisor, how can we shoot the movie?" After counting the people and realizing the script supervisor was missing, Xia Tian's face turned grim.

The script supervisor, though not a high-ranking position, is indispensable in a film crew. They are responsible for recording shot numbers, shooting methods, shot lengths, actors' actions and dialogues, sound effects, sets, props, costumes, makeup, and other details and data, essentially the invisible manager of the crew. Without a script supervisor, the entire crew would be in chaos.

Ahua, who had just begged and pleaded to get everyone to stay, had already lost face and was seething with anger, especially towards Aming, who had started the trouble.

Seeing Xia Tian get angry at him for Aming's absence, Ahua became even angrier and couldn't help but lash out, "Can't we shoot without a script supervisor? It's just one person missing, what's the big deal? I tell you, don't f**k with me. Get back to work, or I won't spare you."

"Fine, if you say so, we'll shoot," Xia Tian agreed without further argument.

Ahua was taken aback by his quick agreement.

"Brother Tian, he's really a fool! Without a script supervisor to record, the film will be a mess, and we won't be able to edit or dub it," Chen Yixin laughed.

"Who cares? He wants to show off, let him worry about it," Xia Tian laughed. "We're just following his orders, so it's not our fault if something goes wrong."

"Exactly, he doesn't know anything but still dares to command. He deserves it," Chen Yixin nodded and laughed.

"But remember to make some marks to avoid confusion," Xia Tian added.

"Why?" Chen Yixin asked in confusion.

"Don't ask, just do it," Xia Tian didn't explain further, just smiled.

Chen Yixin nodded and didn't press further. Since it was Brother Tian's order, he would follow it.

...

After a night of shooting, the movie was finally completed by six in the morning.

As soon as the movie was finished, Ahua, who had been hiding like a turtle, immediately stuck his head out.

"Alright, the movie is done, get out of here," he ordered his subordinates to drive everyone out. He had been afraid they would strike again, but now that the movie was finished, he had nothing to worry about.

"What kind of person are you? Where's our pay?" "Exactly, you owe me hundreds of dollars!"... Everyone was angry.

"What the hell, do you think Brother Bing would short you? Come to the company in a month to collect," Ahua shouted back.

"Come back in a month? You're really dragging it out. What if something goes wrong?" someone shouted.

"Believe it or not, we have no money now," Ahua said, acting as if he had nothing to lose.

Everyone knew they probably wouldn't get paid. Though they hated it, they couldn't afford to anger a movie company run by a gang. They could only curse and leave, hoping that Brother Bing wouldn't be too ruthless and would at least give them a way to survive.

Xia Tian knew that delayed payments were common in the entertainment industry. Not just for struggling actors and minor stars, even top-tier celebrities sometimes faced this issue. He felt sympathy for them but knew he couldn't solve this problem alone.

"Brats, get out of here too," Ahua pointed at Xia Tian and Chen Yixin, looking arrogant. "Remember to gather the money and pay Brother Bing, or I'll grab your sister again and have my way with her before sending her to shoot nude scenes."

"You bastard, what are you saying!" Chen Yixin, seeing red, was ready to pounce.

"Stop arguing with this scumbag," Xia Tian pulled him back and looked at Ahua. "Remember what you said, don't regret it."

"Regret? What do I have to regret? Am I afraid of you?" Ahua laughed, completely dismissing Xia Tian's words.

Xia Tian sneered, ignored Ahua, and pulled Chen Yixin out of the studio, taking a minibus home.

"Brother Tian, why did you stop me? Why didn't you let me beat him up?" Chen Yixin asked, confused.

"Violence solves nothing. The key is to use your brain," Xia Tian tapped his head.

"Huh?!" Chen Yixin was stunned, looking at Xia Tian in disbelief.

Was this the same Brother Tian who always charged into fights and was known as "Fighting Maniac"?

"Are you looking at me like I have a flower on my face?" Xia Tian, feeling uneasy, touched his face.

"No. But Brother Tian, you seem very different from before," Chen Yixin shook his head. "Did you hurt your head the other day?"

Xia Tian was startled, then smiled. "Yes, that hit on my head really woke me up. I realized something..."

"What did you realize?" Chen Yixin asked curiously.

"I must become rich," Xia Tian pointed to the sky solemnly.

"Pfft, I already knew that," Chen Yixin was disappointed.

"But to become rich, you need to use your brain. Without a brain, just fighting, how can you make money?" Xia Tian asked.

"Um..." Chen Yixin was stumped.

"So, to make big money, you must use your brain. If you can use your brain to solve problems, don't use your hands," Xia Tian said.

"So, how do you plan to deal with Ahua?" Chen Yixin, curious, asked.

"I have a plan, you'll see," Xia Tian smiled mysteriously.

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