Chapter 119: Boss!

A few days later, the cross-country promotional tour finally came to an end.

Upon returning to the capital, Jiang Lun did not go to see Zhao Rong immediately. Instead, he was whisked away by the company to the filming location for the "Nunchucks" music video. Knowing his schedule, he had notified Cai Fei beforehand and sent him the address so he could meet him there.

By the time Jiang Lun arrived, Cai Fei had already been there for a while, practicing moves with the extras.

"Lao Cai!"

Jiang Lun called out as soon as he stepped out of the car. Hearing his voice, Cai Fei left the extras and jogged over.

"Ah Lun! Finally, you're here!" Cai Fei said with a grin. "I've already finished my scenes with the extras."

Jiang Lun replied, "No problem. Just improvise when the time comes; as long as it looks good on camera, that's all that matters!"

Cai Fei nodded. "Flashy moves! I understand!"

Entering the set, the director walked over to greet him. "Mr. Jiang, we meet again!"

This was the same director who had filmed the "Love in 1997" music video. Back then, he had called him "Ah Lun," but now he addressed him as "Mr. Jiang." This subtle change spoke volumes about the shift in Jiang Lun's status.

"Hello, Director!"

Jiang Lun did not stand on ceremony. After shaking hands, he asked, "When do we start?"

"We've already shot the other parts. Now we just need your footage!"

"Oh, that's easy! Let's do it!"

With that, Jiang Lun went straight to work. The shots were fragmented—that was the nature of music videos—containing only a brief storyline aligned with the song's theme, with no complex subplots. Aside from these, Jiang Lun also had to film a set of singing shots for the final edit. None of this was difficult; he just had to look cool.

The filming progressed smoothly, and within half a day, only the final shot remained. This last scene was the soul of the music video, the climax of the entire narrative.

In the center of the set was a circular stage. Jiang Lun and his opponent entered from opposite sides. Jiang Lun wore traditional martial arts attire, while his opponent was dressed in a taekwondo uniform, albeit with the obvious logos obscured—though anyone in the know could tell at a glance. This design was intentional, and the underlying meaning was understood by all.

In reality, the opponent was not a professional taekwondo athlete, but an actress hired for the role. Yet, during the performance, she displayed the spirit of a warrior, her acting prowess bursting forth.

"Ha!"

The girl took her opening stance, looking formidable on the stage. The director specifically requested a close-up, filming from both low and high angles. Then, the camera shifted to Jiang Lun, who stood with an indifferent expression, nunchucks in hand, gazing coldly at his opponent.

Next, the two began their choreographed fight. Naturally, they moved in slow motion, which would be sped up during post-production. After a few back-and-forth exchanges, the director shouted, "Cut! That's a wrap!"

"Phew!"

The girl exhaled, the sharp intensity vanishing instantly, making her look like a completely different person.

Jiang Lun, standing nearby, couldn't help but ask, "Have you studied martial arts?"

"No!" The girl shook her head. "When I found out I got the part, I learned a couple of moves, and the stunt coordinator taught me a few more here on set!"

"Oh," Jiang Lun asked, "are you an actress?"

"Not a professional one," the girl said, sticking out her tongue. "I usually just do commercials or music videos."

"Do you have an agent?"

Jiang Lun looked at her, suddenly thinking of a role in "My Own Swordsman." Why not let her audition? Such a hardworking young person deserved an opportunity.

"No!" The girl shook her head. "I came to the capital to make it on my own; I find all these jobs myself."

Jiang Lun nodded. "Have you ever thought about acting in a TV series?"

"I have!" The girl's face lit up with longing. "My dream is to act, to be a real actress. That’s why I’ve persisted as a drifter in the capital all this time."

"Then..." Jiang Lun watched her closely, observing her reaction. "I happen to have a TV series in development. Would you be interested in trying out?"

"Me?" The girl was stunned. "You mean... you want me?"

"Yes!" Jiang Lun said firmly. "You!"

"Really?"

The girl looked incredulous. She was happy for a moment, but then a hint of worry crept in. "Can I really do it? Besides... aren't you a singer? Why are you producing a TV series?"

"It's a project I'm preparing myself," Jiang Lun explained. "But until the show wraps, I hope you won't leak the news."

"Do I need to audition?" The girl wasn't thinking about anything else now. As long as she could act, as long as someone wanted to hire her, she was one step closer to her dream.

"Of course," Jiang Lun said. "The auditions haven't officially started. Leave me your number, and I'll be in touch."

"Okay! Okay!" The girl immediately recited her phone number. "My name is Hong Jie. You can call me Xiao Jie!"

"Xiao Jie... alright, I've got it," Jiang Lun said. "What is your usual rate per episode?"

"Rate?" Hong Jie thought for a moment, looking a bit embarrassed. "I don't really know... I've never acted in a show before. But I know that different roles have different pay. What role would I be playing? An extra?"

"Not quite an extra," Jiang Lun mused. "Consider it a third female lead."

"Huh? Third female lead?" The girl looked nervous. "That must be an important role, right? Can I handle it?"

"I'll give you the script and character profile later; you can decide for yourself," Jiang Lun said. "How about this: don't wait for my call. Come to the 28th floor of the Shanglian Building on the East Fourth Ring tomorrow morning. Just look for the Jiang Lun Studio. I'll be waiting for you."

"Okay!" The girl nodded repeatedly. "Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet. Whether you can play the part depends on you," Jiang Lun replied.

After a few more words, Jiang Lun learned that this girl had actually done quite a few music videos—over a dozen this year alone, plus five commercial endorsements. It was worth noting that Jiang Lun himself hadn't taken on a single endorsement yet.

After filming wrapped, Jiang Lun and Cai Fei returned to the studio with Mai Le, who had driven them over.

"Not bad at all!" Mai Le looked around the newly renovated studio. "Ah Lun, I guess you're a boss now?"

"Just a small side project," Jiang Lun said, waving his hand modestly. "I did this with some friends. I don't have much time for management; it's all up to Zhao Rong."

Just as he mentioned Zhao Rong, Zhao Rong walked in, followed by a man and a woman.

The woman was in her early thirties, sporting a sharp bob cut and standard professional attire. The man was dressed casually, though one could tell his clothes weren't of high quality.

"Ah Lun, you're back?" Zhao Rong walked up with a smile. "Perfect timing. Let me introduce you to two people."

He pointed to the woman with short hair. "This is Zhang Suijuan. I hired her from the job market yesterday. She'll be our company's accountant and also serve as the production manager for our series."

"Jiang Lun?" Upon seeing him, Zhang Suijuan looked visibly excited. "Hello! Hello! I never expected to see you here!"

"Hello!" Jiang Lun smiled and shook her hand, though she held on tightly.

Zhao Rong immediately interjected, "Sister Juan, Jiang Lun is the majority shareholder of our studio!"

"Ah!" Zhang Suijuan gasped again. "I had no idea my boss was Jiang Lun? I... I like you so much, you are my idol... uh, no, wait, you are my idol!"

Jiang Lun laughed. "Now that you're here, we're all family."

"Yes, yes!" Zhang Suijuan said, pulling out her phone. "I have to take a photo and post it on Weibo!"

Jiang Lun didn't object and obliged. While she was posting, Zhao Rong introduced the young man.

"This is my cousin, Li Xing. He used to work as an art director at Brother Film, then spent two years studying post-production. He just finished, so I brought him on board. Our post-production team will be in his hands."

"Welcome! Welcome!" Jiang Lun reached out to shake his hand. These were the professional talents the company needed.

"Hello, Brother Lun!" Li Xing nodded. He was very calm, not nearly as excited as Zhang Suijuan, likely because he was already aware of Jiang Lun's identity. Furthermore, having worked in the film and television industry, he was accustomed to seeing stars, so his composure was natural.

Everyone sat down in the conference room, and Zhao Rong briefed Jiang Lun on the situation. Aside from Zhang Suijuan, they had hired two assistants, a planner, a publicist, a legal advisor, and an administrative director. The post-production team was currently being built, with Li Xing in charge of hiring and equipment procurement. As for other staff, they would add them gradually. The studio was taking shape, and the production crew, comprised of Zhao Rong's long-time friends, was ready to roll as soon as the actors were cast.

"Let's start the actor auditions tomorrow," Jiang Lun said. "Have you found enough people?"

"I've posted notices at all the major film bases in the capital, advertising for extras. If I said it was for lead roles, I'm afraid people wouldn't dare to come," Zhao Rong joked. "I've also contacted retired actors from troupes and arts ensembles. Fourteen have agreed to audition. The earliest should arrive tomorrow morning, and the latest by noon."

"Are they not in the capital?" Jiang Lun asked, puzzled.

"Most aren't. The furthest one is in Xinjiang, but as soon as I called, he started preparing to fly over!"

"We have to reimburse their travel expenses! Regardless of whether they get the part, we can't have them paying out of pocket," Jiang Lun insisted.

"I know," Zhao Rong replied. "We've booked the tickets; they just need to scan their IDs at the airport."

"That's good..." Jiang Lun nodded.

As they were talking, Zhang Suijuan suddenly let out a startled cry, then looked at Jiang Lun, her face flushing red. "Jiang... Boss, I'm so sorry..."