Global Film Emperor

Chapter 561 News
He lit a cigarette, took a deep drag, and felt a pang of regret for the wasted footage, but there was no time to be distracted now, as all the staff present received a notification through their earpieces.

"The train will arrive at the station in fifteen seconds."

"Ksha!"

Although they had rehearsed it many times, Mickey still couldn't help but get nervous when the roar of the train reached his ears, after all, this was the most expensive prop in all the movies the company had ever made.

The two trains were rented from the railway company during their operational period. These things are really expensive, after all, they are private railway operators, and they dare to ask for high prices. But if you don't grit your teeth and rent them, it won't be much cheaper to rent active trains from other places. If you go abroad, the personnel and equipment transfers will be less than renting them directly.

In contrast, Kesha, who didn't have to pay, wasn't as nervous. The camera was already pointed at Lu Ze, just waiting for the right moment. Soon after, the dim yellow lights of the train shone from a distance, and Lu Ze also made a move. He stood up and rubbed his fingers together until his fingertips were engorged with blood, but he didn't stop. He lowered his head and stared straight at the ground. He didn't raise his head even when the train stopped at the platform.

He heard hushed conversations inside the carriage, but he couldn't hear them clearly. Then the train pulled away, and no one greeted him. Even the few people who got off the train were far away from the carriage where he was waiting.

The station fell silent again, and he finally mustered the courage to look around. However, what he saw was just as he had imagined: he was all alone on the empty platform.

The expectation in his eyes quickly faded, turning into disappointment. He didn't leave immediately, but stood there with his head down. At this moment, the rain intensified.

"Lucas, return to the initial position."

Zhuang Yu finally couldn't resist any longer. Before Mickey could give any instructions, he took the initiative to record this perfect scene. Mickey didn't object, but just glanced at Zhuang Yu, chuckled twice, picked up the microphone, and spoke to the production assistant.

“Stella, get ready. Three, two, one, enter the scene.”

……

He was ultimately disappointed. He had kept a promise that the other party had broken. Anger only played a small part; the majority of his feelings were regret at his unfulfilled expectations.

The rain intensified, and the wind made him feel a bit chilly. He zipped up his jacket, concealing the game-themed T-shirt he was wearing. Train lights shone from the platform behind him, and he seemed to remember something. He turned around to look at the train that was about to arrive at the station, and finally took a step forward.

At the edge of the platform, he swayed as if making a decision. Finally, when the train was less than twenty meters away, he stepped out with his left foot, heading towards the bottomless abyss, but was suddenly grabbed by a pair of hands.

The train didn't stop; it roared away. At the edge of the platform, two people were panting heavily, constantly breathing in fresh air to celebrate their newfound life.

"Hey……"

He lowered his head again, and in the end, the girl greeted him first. He didn't even dare to speak loudly, and could only look at the game T-shirt the girl was wearing and softly reply, "Hey."

……

"Dual cameras, close-up interaction for the upper body."

Upon receiving Mickey's instruction, the two brothers obeyed without hesitation. The camera zoomed in cleanly, capturing every detail of their skin and the emotions in their eyes on the monitor. However, this caused Zhuang Yu to frown. Due to the cramped location, even a camera crane couldn't be installed, so they could only set up two camera positions. Both positions, being close-ups, would, frankly, miss most of the details. "Isn't this a bad choice? It's such a perfect day; it would be a shame to miss it."

“I know, but Stella kept up with the pace. According to the storyboard design, the shot would have been given after the two started talking, to set the stage in advance. I am very satisfied with the result.”

"Wouldn't it be pointless for us to rent this stage for so long? Isn't this the very set we want? Why not just move it into the studio? What's the point of all this?"

Mickey felt uncomfortable with Zhuang Yu's questioning. He shifted his gaze from the screen to Zhuang Yu's face before looking back at the monitor and replying, "What's lost in the long shot is Lu Ze's emotions, and what's lost in the close-up is the atmosphere. You can get it back from Lu Ze. Why don't you have more faith in Lu Ze?"

"This is not a question of whether we have confidence in Lu Ze. Even if it were Lu Ze, he couldn't overcome the creative atmosphere of Vision."

"So didn't I give you a vision from the beginning?"

Mickey took a sip of warm water and shrugged nonchalantly.

There was no point in saying more. After recognizing the differences between the two sides, Zhuang Yu did not want to argue, especially not on the set, where he would have a conflict with the director and investor. If others found out, he would be the one who would lose face. So he had no choice but to remain silent.

Fortunately, the two actors, who were completely unaware of what was happening on camera, performed exceptionally well, and the take was completed in one take. After Mickey announced that the take was approved, all the staff present sighed in exhaustion. The time was 4:20 a.m.

"That's a wrap!"

The costumes for filming weren't strange, just a bit too youthful for Lu Ze. They could easily be worn as everyday clothes. Since it was late, Lu Ze didn't have the energy to change clothes. He swept his bangs over his head, covered them with a baseball cap, slung his backpack over his shoulder, and walked over to Mickey and the other person.

"I'm leaving now, I can't keep up anymore."

As Lu Ze got closer, he immediately noticed that something was off. The two didn't exchange words. Mickey was calm and collected his personal belongings, while Zhuang Yu's expression was much more serious. He didn't leave but just quietly smoked.

This wasn't a good time to ask why. After observing their expressions, Lu Ze patted Zhuang Yu on the back and said, "Which way do we go? I'll take you back?"

"My wife is coming to pick me up in a bit. Are you going home by yourself? If you're tired, find someone to drive you."

"It's okay, it'll only take about ten minutes. I'm off now."

After exchanging fist bumps with the staff to say goodbye, Stella, though the female lead, was still a newcomer. Whether it was to expand her network or to gain some recognition under Mickey's nose, she would always help the staff with small tasks within her ability before removing her makeup and changing clothes. Finally, she left with a new makeup artist of similar age. Seeing Lu Ze leave first, she waved goodbye enthusiastically.

At the station entrance, Stella's mother waited for her daughter's return. Upon seeing Lu Ze, she offered him her umbrella, but Lu Ze waved it off. Using the light from the streetlights, he strode across puddles and ran towards the parking spot. He was fast enough that he didn't get much rain on him. As he started the car, he intended to ask about Zhuang Yu, but he was first drawn to an unread message. When he opened it, he saw Lu Nan's wedding photo.

"..."