Chapter 37: "All or Nothing" Wraps Filming

"I declare that 'No More Bets' has officially wrapped!"

On August 17th, as Cheng Cheng’s voice faded, the 12-day continuous shoot for "No More Bets" finally came to an end.

The entire cast and crew erupted into uncontrollable jubilation. Some were shouting, others tossed their hats into the air, some hugged their colleagues tightly, and tears welled up in the eyes of many.

"We wrapped!"
"My first film project is finally finished!"
"This is amazing, we actually did it!"
"Ahhhhh! It’s finally over!"

Watching the excited crowd, Cheng Cheng could not help but be infected by their emotions.

Yan Gou’er walked up to him, her eyes filled with a sense of admiration. She knew that it was Director Cheng who had shouldered the heavy burden of this film single-handedly. From the screenplay, character biographies, and costume design to investments and securing distribution channels, he had done it all himself. He even sold his own house to finance the movie. It could be said that he had staked everything he had on this film. During the process, he had to deal with public scrutiny and ridicule, handle the crisis of a collapsing production, and face off in court against those who slandered him.

He had endured so much, yet he never showed it. Even when he acted erratically, he always appeared invincible. Yan Gou’er felt fortunate that her first professional work was under Cheng Cheng. Her scenes had actually finished a few days prior, and she could have left, but considering she had nothing else to do during her break, she chose to stay, learn more, and catch the wrap party.

"Director, come and celebrate with us!" Yan Gou’er said.

Cheng Cheng asked, "How should we celebrate?"

Yan Gou’er encouraged him, "Just throw your hat, mess up your hair, jump around. If you want to, we can even run a lap around the set—let's do it together!"

She thought to herself that the director’s mental state had likely suffered from being too pent up. Now that his reputation was cleared and the film had wrapped, everything was looking up; this was the perfect opportunity to blow off some steam, which might even be good for his condition.

To her surprise, her suggestion only aroused Cheng Cheng’s suspicion. He looked at her with a strange expression. "Run a lap around the set? How long have you had this symptom? Is it serious? Should I find you a doctor?"

Yan Gou’er was stunned, then blushed. She had just been told she was mentally ill by a man who was mentally ill himself?

"I'm not—I just—" Yan Gou’er was about to explain, but was interrupted by the Beret-wearing Assistant Director shouting from afar: "Director Cheng, Yan Gou’er, stop talking! Come over here for the group photo."

Cheng Cheng looked up, raised his hand, and shouted back, "Oh, coming!"

As he turned to leave, he said to Yan Gou’er, "Let's go. Don't worry, I’ll keep your mental health issues a secret."

*Who needs you to keep a secret!*

Fuming, Yan Gou’er watched his brisk, energetic back as he walked away, stomped her foot, and followed him.

—

"Come on, come on! Li Yang, Wen Lian, you two stand next to Director Cheng. Yan Gou’er, you’re number two, get up on that stool in the back and gather around the director with Qi Hao."

"Qi Hao, stand a bit lower to accommodate Yan Gou’er."

"Raise the banner a little higher."

"Alright, I’ll count to three, then we all shout 'Great Success on the Wrap' together!"

"Three!"
"Two!"
"One!"
"Great Success on the Wrap!"

As the words were spoken, a *click* froze the moment in a photo.

In the picture, Cheng Cheng was still in his "Lu Bingkun" attire—a Southeast Asian-style floral shirt and baggy shorts. He looked a bit grimey with permed, curly hair, but it did nothing to diminish his looks; if anything, it gave him a wild, primal charm. Wen Lian, with her hands folded over her abdomen, smiled like a flower; even in such a modest pose, she couldn't hide the alluring, captivating essence that radiated from her. Yan Gou’er wore simple clothes, holding up a peace sign, looking fresh-faced and youthful as she leaned slightly toward Cheng Cheng with a joyful smile. Li Yang and Qi Hao stood by, grinning.

After the photo, Cheng Cheng clapped his hands. "Everyone has two hours to pack up. The wrap party is tonight, so wait in the hotel lobby once you're ready. I've arranged a bus. Alright, dismissed!"

The crowd cheered again.

That evening at the hotel, the atmosphere was lively with clinking glasses. Those who could drink did so with gusto, and those who couldn't substituted with tea, yet everyone was in high spirits. Cheng Cheng was the undisputed star of the night. The Assistant Director, wearing his signature beret, had his arm around Cheng Cheng, his face flushed red from the alcohol.

"Let me, on behalf of the entire crew, propose a toast to Director Cheng. Without you, this film wouldn't exist, and without you, it could never have been shot so quickly."

He was telling the truth. Completing the shoot in 12 days—even with Cheng Cheng missing for three of them—was unimaginable in an era of big-budget productions.

Truth be told, both the actors and the crew were privately marvelling at the pace. One month of pre-production followed by 12 days of shooting—the filming duration was less than half the time spent on preparation, especially considering this was the first time Cheng Cheng had worked with this crew and cast. If they collaborated more and found their rhythm, compressing the shoot to under ten days wouldn't have been impossible.

As the Assistant Director went on, he became sentimental. "Sometimes I feel so useless as an assistant director, especially during those three days you were gone. The shooting speed was like night and day compared to when you were here."

Cheng Cheng didn't like that one bit. "Director Dao, I'm not happy to hear you say that. How can you call yourself useless?"

The Assistant Director replied, "Director Cheng, you don't have to flatter me—"

Before he could finish, Cheng Cheng cut him off: "If the crew didn't have you, wouldn't we be missing an assistant director?"

Wen Lian burst into laughter, her shoulders shaking. She realized her mistake a second later and mentally cursed herself for drinking too much, quickly apologizing to the Assistant Director, "Director Dao, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to laugh—"

Yan Gou’er looked at the Assistant Director with a sense of shared misery: *So the Director wasn't just targeting me after all. That’s a relief!*

As the banquet neared its end, Cheng Cheng raised another glass. Before coming, he had taken a "Thousand-Cup Immunity Pill," and he felt as though he could take on any opponent.

"Everyone, the filming is over. I hope everyone achieved what they came here for, and I hope this film lives up to your hard work. Cheers!"

He downed the full glass of strong liquor in one go.

As the crowd watched in awe and shouted their approval, the lively atmosphere nearly blew the roof off.

Li Yang shouted, "I believe this film will be a massive hit! My confidence this time is greater than for any project I've ever worked on!"

Wen Lian added, "Yes! This film is going to explode!"

During this time, Cheng Cheng’s performance had given everyone great expectations and confidence. Every person involved in the project was fantasizing about the buzz it would generate upon release and the discussions it would spark. They had never looked forward to the release of a project like this before.

After finishing his drink, Cheng Cheng found Yan Gou’er, who was eating fruit. She hadn't touched any alcohol tonight, not even the sugar-free juice, and she had avoided the high-carb foods. Despite it being a wrap party, she had strictly controlled her diet. It was painful, but she had persisted.

Cheng Cheng said, "Yan Gou’er, come outside with me for a moment."

Yan Gou’er: "Huh? Oh, okay!"