Global Best Actor: Starting with Picking Up Attributes in America

"OK, I'll text you the address and meeting time. Don't be late, Rob hates waiting!"

"Understood, thanks Jerry."

"Don't thank me, just buy me a Starbucks next time, the cheapest one!"

Jerry laughed and hung up the phone.

Hang up the phone.

Chen Xun looked at the forty dollars in his hand, then at Shen Man's empty room.

He had no time to wallow in sorrow and parting.

Survival is the top priority right now.

He took a cold shower to force himself to wake up.

He changed into the only relatively clean gray T-shirt and jeans without any obvious logo.

This is his versatile costume.

Today's filming location is not a regular film set.

Instead, it was a rather old-looking coffee shop in downtown Los Angeles with a weathered exterior.

Several film crew trucks were parked at the entrance, and staff members dressed in various vests were busily moving around.

Chen found the staff member in charge of signing in.

State your name.

The other person swiped on a tablet and handed him a green sticker.

It says "BACKGROUND - CAFE" above.

Let him hold it against his chest.

"Hey, Chen, right?"

A voice rang out.

Chen Xun looked up.

It was Rob, the tall, thin assistant director from yesterday.

He was wearing a baseball cap today and had a walkie-talkie around his neck.

Speaking at an extremely fast pace:

"Listen, this scene is the male and female leads arguing in a coffee shop. You are a background customer, sitting at the table diagonally behind them, eating something, reading a book, or fiddling with your phone."

"Be natural, but don't fucking stare at the lead actor, and don't make any big noise to steal the spotlight, understand?"

"clear!"

Chen Xun nodded.

I noted down the key points: be natural, and don't steal the spotlight.

He was led to a designated spot, a small round table by the window.

The props team has already placed a fake latte on the table.

It was actually cold coffee diluted with water.

There was also a croissant model next to it.

Chen Xun sat down.

I adjusted my posture.

To ensure that you are within the frame of the shot without appearing too out of place.

He took a deep breath.

The "Calm" attribute helped him quickly get into the zone.

Unlike the other background actors, he didn't seem nervous or contrived.

He took a spoon and stirred the coffee in his cup.

His eyes began to scan the entire film set like radar.

The lead roles are played by a rising Hollywood "sweetheart" actress and a male actor known for his method acting style.

The two were rehearsing their lines, and the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

"Action!"

The coffee shop instantly came to life.

The background sound effects consist of hushed conversations and jazz music.

The lead actors began arguing fiercely.

Chen Xun followed the instructions.

He pretended to read a book while looking down, occasionally taking a sip of his coffee, but his ears were perked up like antennas.

"Cut!"

"The director shouted."

It seems there was dissatisfaction with one of the male actors' reactions.

Just as the male actor, frowning, passed Chen Xun and returned to his starting position, a gray orb of light fell from him:

[Emotional Attribute - Irritability +1]

absorb!

A subtle sense of anxiety crept into my being.

This gave him a more intuitive understanding of the physical manifestations of the emotion "irritability".

The second take begins.

The male actor has adjusted his state this time.

During the argument, he slammed his hand on the table, making the coffee cup jolt.

One take!

Good! Moving on!

The director exclaimed with satisfaction.

And just as the male actor slammed his hand on the table...

A slightly brighter gray orb fell down!

Chen Xun just stood up.

Take advantage of the break between camera angles to get close and absorb the energy!

[Physical Attributes - Burst Damage +1]

I made a profit!

This is much more sophisticated than simply making exaggerated gestures.

It includes techniques for controlling strength and using emotions to influence the body.

Chen Xun's gaze then settled on an elderly actor sitting in a corner.

He plays the owner of the coffee shop, and he only has one line.

But right after he said, "Would you like a refill?", a ball of light fell down.

It is lying quietly on the ground right now.

Chen Xun walked over.

[Dialogue attributes - Realistic +1].

perfect!

This is exactly what Chen Xun needs!

He absorbed it immediately.

I feel as if the muscles in my throat have acquired a very subtle memory.

I gained a new appreciation for the natural tone of English dialogue.

The whole morning.

Chen Xun is like a diligent worker bee, silently harvesting attributes in a corner of the film set.

He picked up the [Emotional Attribute - Focus +1] from the lighting technician.

I picked up the [Physical Attribute - Stamina +1] from the assistant who was holding up the reflector.

Although they are all base attributes of +1, they add up:

[Acting Skills Attribute Panel]

Dialogue: Lv0 (2/100)

Limbs: Lv0 (4/100)

Emoticons: Lv0 (1/100)

Eyes: Lv0 (0/100)

Mood: Lv0 (3/100)

Tempo: Lv0 (0/100)

Aura: Lv0 (2/100)

……

At noon, the film crew distributed lunch.

A cold ham sandwich, a bag of potato chips, and an apple.

Chen Xun and a group of extras sat on the curb, wolfing down their food.

Eighty dollars a day, plus one meal.

In the lower echelons of Hollywood, this already puts him in the upper-middle tier of extras.

The afternoon shoot went relatively smoothly.

Because Chen Xun was in stable condition and made no mistakes, Robert arranged for him to change positions, increasing his chances of being seen.

When he finished work, Chen Xun received eight ten-dollar bills from the finance department.

It's a thick stack of bills, and holding it in my hand gives me a real sense of satisfaction.

As Rob was packing his things, he passed by him and patted him on the shoulder:

"Well done, kid. You're very professional, unlike those newbies who always mess things up. Here's my contact information. I'll contact you again if there's a similar job next time."

"Thank you, Rob!"

Chen Xun sincerely thanked him.

This means he may have started to have a little bit of stable income.

As he walked off the set, the Los Angeles sunset cast a long shadow over him.

He glanced back at the bustling coffee shop, feeling a stark contrast to his mood when he left the set of "L.A. Cop" the day before.

Although he was still just an insignificant background figure, he could clearly feel himself growing.

He touched the thick wad of banknotes in his pocket.

Adding the previous forty, he now has a huge sum of one hundred and twenty dollars.

"We won't starve to death for now!"

Chen Xun squinted as he faced the setting sun.

……

Five o'clock the next morning.

Chen Xun suddenly woke up from his dream.

It was still dark.

I turned on my phone screen, but there were no calls or emails.

Rob did not contact him.

It seems that "good jobs" aren't available every day!

It's impossible to just sit around and live off your savings.

Chen Xun hastily ate a bite of bread and arrived at a well-known gathering place for non-union extras in Santa Monica.

This place is more like an open-air labor market.

It was crowded with people of all skin colors.

These people, harboring dreams of stardom or simply trying to make a living, wait here day after day for their chance.

The air was filled with the smell of cheap coffee and cigarettes.

The moment the person in the vest arrived, the crowd stirred.

"We need five office workers, who look normal! You, you, and you..."

"Three street thugs, tattooed guys preferred!"

"We need two Asian faces, one male and one female, to play tourists, and they should bring their own brightly colored clothes!"

……

The noise was deafening, and the opportunity was fleeting.

Chen Xun squeezed into the crowd, trying to make himself stand out, but not daring to go too far and offend anyone.

The competition here is far more brutal than on a regular film set managed by assistant directors.

It's a raw contest of physical strength, appearance, and luck.