Chapter 164: Head-Flick Makeover (Extended Chapter)

With all the indoor scenes completely wrapped, Zhu Yiyang felt a sudden sense of loss.

Xu Lai asked him twice if he wanted to go to the hospital for a check-up.

Zhu Yiyang shook his head. "Have someone take me to the hotel. I want to take a shower."

Xu Lai nodded. "Alright. Brother Shan, please help take Brother Yang to the hotel."

Xu Lai summoned a production assistant from his team and had him drive Zhu Yiyang away.

In the car, Zhu Yiyang leaned against the back seat, looking utterly exhausted and listless.

Up front, the driver smiled and said, "Just take a good shower, then get something to eat and sleep. You'll be fine. Many artists we've worked with before experienced the exact same thing."

Zhu Yiyang gave a soft grunt of acknowledgment and didn't reply.

What lingered in his daze wasn't the lingering fear of being buried in mud, but that embrace from Tang Zhichu.

Why did they insist on shooting with live, physical props? Camera angles being crucial was certainly one reason.

The other reason was precisely to put on a show for everyone. If he couldn't manage his physical state at the very beginning, that would be one thing, but they were already at the tail end of filming—it shouldn't have come to that.

To put it bluntly, it was done to show Tang Zhichu that when it came to making movies, he was dead serious.

Of course, it was also a form of experiential acting.

It was just that Tang Zhichu's sudden sincerity left Zhu Yiyang feeling somewhat dazed, tinged with an inexplicable sense of guilt.

Back on the set, Tang Zhichu was helping pack things up—packing away the film crew's equipment.

"We can start post-production on the indoor footage first. The storyline isn't complex; we can have the final cut ready by mid-next month at the latest. We have established channels, so should we submit it for review directly?" Xu Lai asked Tang Zhichu.

Tang Zhichu nodded. "Let's submit it directly. There's a high probability it will launch on Douyin. Web movies are different from theatrical releases—the turnaround is short. For a project like this, it can go live in about a month."

Xu Lai hadn't planned on packing, but seeing Tang Zhichu doing it, he stepped over to help.

Placing a piece of photographic equipment into a case, Xu Lai continued, "I think Brother Yang is pretty impressive. I've been running around film sets with my dad since I was a kid, and I've seen plenty of actors. Brother Yang definitely has potential."

Tang Zhichu looked at Xu Lai and patted him on the shoulder.

After half a month of getting along, his impression of Xu Lai matched his initial judgment.

Xu Lai was a very easygoing person: capable, economical with words, and relatively straightforward.

This was the product of his upbringing—a wealthy scion who had never truly known hardship.

Of course, perhaps he was a bit secretly romantic and brooding.

"Does your dad want you to keep making martial arts films?"

"Yeah, martial arts has become an obsession in my heart. He took a break for a few years; though he was resting, he was always pondering how to modernize the martial arts genre. But when he finally brought this concept forward, no one bought into it. Nobody was willing to invest. First, the capital requirement was too huge, and second, people probably thought my dad was getting old and could no longer pull it off..." Xu Lai said slowly.

One could tell he understood his father deeply, or rather, his father had instilled certain ideologies in him long ago.

In the current film market, everyone was constantly searching for novelty, and sci-fi-leaning projects were becoming increasingly popular.

When a person grew old and seemed to stop producing, it was as if they had fallen behind the times.

Tang Zhichu caught the subtext in Xu Lai's words.

Ultimately, he was like a good kid who was slightly rebellious and got dragged out to make some trouble by friends midway.

In the end, he would still have to return to his original track.

Tang Zhichu shifted the topic and asked quietly, "It's been so long. Talk to me about that career-driven woman you like. Is she in the industry?"

Xu Lai looked around. Everyone was busy loading the trucks and no one was nearby, so he nodded and gave a soft affirmative.

"Who is it?"

Xu Lai whispered a name: Lin Wanqing.

Tang Zhichu stared wide-eyed; he was genuinely astonished.

The name Lin Wanqing was no stranger to Tang Zhichu. Among current actresses in their thirties, there were only a handful who possessed good looks, acting chops, and high popularity.

Lin Wanqing was definitely one of them. Tang Zhichu even seemed to recall that Lin Wanqing entered the industry by starring in one of Director Big Xu's films.

Why was Tang Zhichu so surprised? Because Lin Wanqing could no longer be simply categorized as an actress.

There was an entertainment company founded a decade ago called Black Tide Media, and Lin Wanqing was one of its bosses. Based on publicly accessible records, she held around ten percent of the shares.

Although Black Tide wasn't publicly listed, after a series of financing rounds, its current valuation hovered around four billion.

Lin Wanqing could unequivocally be counted as a wealthy woman.

Of course, being a boss required the mindset of a boss. Looking across Lin Wanqing's career history, the awards she had won were titles like "Audience's Favorite" and "Most Popular."

Her reputation within the industry was less than stellar; many people didn't even acknowledge Lin Wanqing as an actress, treating her purely as a mega-star.

And there was one crucial point: Lin Wanqing had far too many scandals surrounding her.

To put it bluntly, among the currently trending young male idols, the ones rumored to have been linked with her couldn't even be counted on one hand.

Before getting this answer, Tang Zhichu had thought Xu Lai was just a bit quietly sensitive and artsy.

After getting this answer, Tang Zhichu harbored not a single shred of doubt left.

He also looked around, and seeing the coast was clear, whispered, "Did you guys... you know?"

Xu Lai was taken aback, and the flush on his face was visible to the naked eye. "What are you talking about? I... I didn't, don't talk nonsense, I didn't..."

"Damn it, you animal!"

"Why are you cursing me? I didn't... seriously didn't!"

"I'm not cursing you, I'm cursing her."

Xu Lai hoisted a box and walked away.

Tang Zhichu shook his head, thinking to himself that this guy's first hurdle in life was sure adding supreme difficulty to itself.

A woman who cared nothing for reputation and had transitioned from a mere artist into a capitalist—was her tier low?

She was probably just treating it as a casual hookup, while you're treating it like a precious treasure.

Why was Tang Zhichu so certain that Xu Lai had slept with Lin Wanqing?

It was simple. Xu Lai had a very strict family upbringing, so his experience in this area was undoubtedly blank. Suddenly encountering a passionate, alluring older sister who left him so deeply infatuated—even a fool could read the signs.

Tang Zhichu picked up a box as well, but before he could walk far, a bunch of people came running over.

"Let me take that, President Tang!"

"Let us get it, President Tang!"

"Yeah, let us do it. Whenever you weren't around, these chores were all handled by us."

"That's right, don't underestimate us, we're actually super strong."

Tang Zhichu glanced at them, didn't let go of the box, and said instead, "Don't fight over it, I'll carry my own. You guys have worked hard too—I see some of you even have hair damp with sweat. How about this, I'll give you two hours to freshen up, and two hours from now, we'll meet at the company."

At first, the group didn't quite process it, until someone asked, "Is there work-related stuff to discuss?"

Seeing Tang Zhichu nod, it clicked for everyone.

Giggling and laughing, they scattered. The slower ones were forcibly dragged along by the others, like Maomao and Lin Lanxin.

Even after running out the door, Maomao was still complaining, "I'm exhausted to death, and now there's work stuff too? Is there any living left for us?"

Naihui pinched her arm. "Keep your voice down! What do you think everyone's looking forward to? When the big boss mentions work stuff, what do you think it is?"

"A meeting? A recap? A report?"

"You're an idiot. Does Lanxin know?"

Lin Lanxin shook her head.

Naihui touched her own forehead, lamenting inwardly that her teammate was a bit of a pig, though perhaps that was why simple people had simple blessings.

"It must be about development directions and content creation, obviously! Why else would the big boss tell us to go to the company? Plus, now that the movie has wrapped, the big boss finally has the time and energy."

"Sister Hui, are you saying the big boss is going to start pushing artists again?"

"High probability."

"Let's go. I haven't checked out of my hotel yet. Let's go to my place, and then we'll hail a cab to the company!"

When Tang Zhichu arrived at the company, it was just past twelve o'clock. Huang Zejun was away on a business trip.

Zhou Yun had been at the company these past few days, while he went out shooting videos.

Huang Zejun had two properties in Yuzhou; one had already been sold, and the other had been put on the market. Saying he was smashing pots and selling iron to raise funds was no exaggeration at all.

Zhou Yun's office was diagonally across from Tang Zhichu's.

Pushing open the door, he happened to catch Zhou Yun eating.

Zhou Yun frowned at first, but upon recognizing who it was, she gave a playful, reproachful look. "You gave me a scare!"

Tang Zhichu sat right under the air conditioner; it was simply too hot.

"Suddenly, I've developed a lot of respect for Brother Jun. In such hot weather, he's out shooting videos every day, and he even sold his house for the company," Tang Zhichu smiled.

Zhou Yun stood up, holding her lunchbox, and sat down opposite Tang Zhichu.

Today she was wearing a dress—a cinched-waist design that accentuated her curves, making her waist look tiny while highlighting her voluptuous figure.

"How come I never hear you expressing respect for me?"

Tang Zhichu stood up, sat right next to Zhou Yun, and pulled out his phone.

After a brief scroll, he handed it over.

"What's this?"

"Take a look."

Zhou Yun handed her lunchbox to Tang Zhichu and took his phone.

As she did so, a lovely smile graced her face. This was the first time Tang Zhichu had handed her his phone to look at so casually.

Tang Zhichu took Zhou Yun's lunchbox in return. Today it wasn't some bland fitness meal; it was rice served with savory side dishes.

Without bothering to check if Zhou Yun had eaten her fill, Tang Zhichu picked up the chopsticks and dug right in.

"I knew it! Leave some for me!"

"I'm just tasting it."

Annoyed, Zhou Yun pinched Tang Zhichu playfully before looking at the phone screen.

The phone interface was left in the photo gallery, showing a few hand-drawn images.

The first image clearly depicted a girl wearing pajamas. The second image changed—showing a head-tilting motion with hair flying in the air.

"A transition video?"

"Mm-hmm."

Transition videos already existed on Douyin, and their traffic wasn't low either.

However, this format heavily relied on the subject's state and a strong background music track.

Zhou Yun flipped back and forth between the two pictures, lost in thought. After a moment, she asked, "Who is this for?"

"Your call."

When Tang Zhichu handed the lunchbox back to Zhou Yun, she hurriedly took a few bites and then stood up.

This was Tang Zhichu's first time witnessing how the company shot internet influencers.

Makeup artists, cameramen, and even a dedicated prop manager were all on hand.

In the designated shooting room, the equipment surpassed that of a photo studio. The background wall resembled a folding screen that could be slid aside to reveal another panel, and there was even an electronic monitor at the very back.

Seeing that preparations were nearly complete, Zhou Yun dropped a message in the group chat: *Anyone who has arrived at the company, come to Studio 1 right now.*

The first to arrive was Gu Yasha. Just moments after Zhou Yun sent the message, she walked in.

Clearly, she had already been at the company for a while.

"President Tang! Sister Yunyun!"

Strictly speaking, Gu Yasha was actually older than both Tang Zhichu and Zhou Yun, but since everyone called Zhou Yun "Sister Yunyun," she just followed suit.

"So fast?" Tang Zhichu was a bit surprised.

The drive from the shooting location back to the company was less than twenty minutes. He had told them two hours, but only about an hour had passed.

"I just took a quick shower and came straight over." Gu Yasha leaned against the windowsill, speaking with a gentle smile as her large, expressive eyes stared intently at you.

It gave you the feeling that she was pouring her entire focus into talking with you—earnest and poised.

"Is this your bare face?"

Gu Yasha pointed to her lips and shook her head. "I put on a little bit of lipstick."

Tang Zhichu looked away.

She was very attractive—a graduate student with the figure of a mature, commanding beauty, yet her face still retained that fleshy, collagen-rich youthful fullness.

Gradually, over the next dozen minutes, the rest of them arrived.

A dozen or so individuals formed a semicircle. Zhou Yun and the company's makeup artist each carried a box and placed them on the ground. Inside were new clothes.

The commercial partners currently collaborating with the company were apparel brands, designing custom clothing for them every month.

"We have a new creative concept—the hair-flick transition. This particular style doesn't suit a pear-shaped figure; only Lanxin can pull off the effect. Lanxin, tell everyone, as of today, how many followers do you have?" Zhou Yun asked, looking toward Lin Lanxin who was standing near the edge.

Lin Lanxin was stunned for a second, then immediately replied, "One... one million one hundred and sixty thousand."

Quite a few people looked at Lin Lanxin. They weren't surprised that Lin Lanxin had crossed the million-follower mark, but rather that it had been barely over a million just yesterday, and it had grown again today.

Among Zheguang's native influencers, the first whose follower count broke a million turned out to be Lin Lanxin—someone everyone treated like a little sister.

Zhou Yun gave Lin Lanxin a thumbs-up. "Keep up the good work, maintain daily updates. If your home isn't good for shooting videos, come to the company every day to shoot. I'm sure everyone has seen Lanxin's account—the one posted the day before yesterday got over nine million views. The hair-flick transition is different from the pear-figure style; everyone can capture this traffic. How about this: let's have everyone shoot one version first so I can check the results before deciding who to push primarily..."

Zhou Yun began explaining how the videos should be filmed, playing the dedicated BGM for them to listen to so they could get a feel for it.

The video was simple, consisting of two parts. The first part featured pajamas combined with slightly cute dance movements, and the second part was all about attitude—looking as cool as possible!

Tang Zhichu walked out just as they started changing clothes.

To keep things convenient for shooting, the company employed almost no men.

And so, the filming dragged on for the entire afternoon.

When girls got caught up in this sort of thing, they seemed to completely lose track of time.

At 5:30 PM, Tang Zhichu messaged Zhou Yun on WeChat: *"Not done yet?"*

A short while later, the door to Tang Zhichu's office was knocked on. Two young women entered and summoned Tang Zhichu.

When Tang Zhichu arrived at the shooting room, he finally understood why it had taken so long.

Aside from a few who weren't filming at the moment, most of them were having too much fun and kept filming each other with their phones.

Zhou Yun waved at Tang Zhichu, and he walked over.

"Post-production is underway. These are the ones already completed, take a look."

Tang Zhichu flipped through a few, finally stopping on Wang Xiaoyan's video.

Wang Xiaoyan had a baby face and looked adorable, but because she had slimed down a bit, shooting this particular video created a striking contrast.

The pajamas were cute, but after the hair-flick transition, she exuded a cool, somewhat rebellious edgy vibe.

"Right? You think so too?"

Tang Zhichu glanced back, thinking to himself that he was probably not the only one who felt that way.

Several others were standing off to the side, not filming, just chatting among themselves.

Maomao and Lin Lanxin, Naihui and Gu Yasha.

Combining that with the videos, perhaps they too felt that Wang Xiaoyan was the best fit for this series, hence their enthusiasm had waned.

Zhou Yun seemed to sense what Tang Zhichu was thinking and said softly, "I understand. If any of them don't want to release this video, they don't have to."