I will be stronger after the remake

"The contract was signed according to the time commitment, so we can't end it early. Besides, you just paid them overtime, so they actually made a profit!"

"The overtime pay is not enough, and not everyone likes to work overtime. Some people are unwilling to work overtime even if they are paid."

Song Tao had no choice but to emphasize, "Even if you don't have any scenes, they still have to work for the crew, so this is not really overtime."

“That makes sense, but people have to be willing to listen. Once they have preconceived notions, no matter how much you say, they will just ignore you.” Tang Ping turned to Hu Ze. “So we’ll have to trouble you, Director, to take some time to have a heart-to-heart talk with them and do some ideological work.”

Hu Ze pointed with his index finger and laughed, "I knew your invitation wasn't so simple. You'd already planned this all along, hadn't you?"

"The capable should do more work, so how can you call it scheming? At most, it's just planning ahead. Besides, the sooner I finish filming here, the sooner I can go back to work in the public security department."

"That sounds nice."

Hu Ze chuckled and scolded, but did not refuse. This was just a matter of asking him to do it, and he could also demonstrate his spiritual power.

After the meal, everyone returned to their rooms to rest.

Ma Yiming took the script to Tang Ping and said, "I was worried that recommending people randomly might delay the filming, but after watching your performance during the day, it seems that even a novice like me wouldn't be a problem if this is the filming method."

"Some roles still require some acting skills. After all, even if it's a staged photo, the expression and posture have to be correct. Of course, your idea is basically correct, so who would you recommend for which role?"

“My sister, didn’t you meet her last time? I think she’s perfect for the role of Junko Muto.”

“Ma Feiyan…” Tang Ping recalled for a moment, then nodded and said, “Your sister does have a bit of a Japanese high school girl vibe, which fits the role quite well, but is she actually willing to do it?”

"Of course she'd be willing. Her original positioning is as a lifestyle streamer who plays games. Now that she can personally participate in the production of a game, she can not only promote the game, but if the game becomes popular, it will also help increase her popularity. It's a win-win situation."

"Okay, I have no objection. You can call and ask."

Just after dismissing Zouma Yiming, Yuan Ji came over and said, "Since you can make recommendations, I also want to recommend someone."

Who should I recommend?

"Feng Yingying, you invited her sister Feng Maimai, why didn't you invite her? Aren't she a good match for Lu Wangshu? She'll try to please others just the same way. She's secretly a flirt, but she pretends to be all serious."

Tang Ping ignored the final slander and said, "Actually, I did consider it, but I was worried that as the director of the training base, she would be too busy to spare the time, so I didn't invite her."

"The base supervisor's job isn't as busy as you think. There are only so many awakened psionicists each year, and even fewer are distributed across different regions. Besides, you can just make a phone call and find out. What's the point of worrying about it yourself?"

"There are some things that are inconvenient to talk about. You can invite her, but don't mention me."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Ji stared at Tang Ping for a while, then smiled smugly and said, "I knew there was a secret between you two. Her attitude towards you that day was different from how she treated others. I asked you, but you wouldn't admit it."

Tang Ping frankly admitted, "I really didn't know at the time. I only found out there was a connection after I asked someone to investigate."

"Since you don't want to talk about it, I won't ask what the specific connection is."

Yuan Ji also took his phone and went out.

After a while, the two returned one after the other with good news.

"My sister agreed as soon as she heard the offer, and said she was very interested in your game and would act in it even without pay."

“There’s no problem with Feng Yingying either. As I said, she just looks serious on the surface, but she’s actually looking forward to doing something outrageous.”

Tang Ping said, "The salary still needs to be paid. I'm not a heartless capitalist. But I have another idea. I'll tell you when all the actors arrive."

He planned to "scam" Youxing Entertainment Company, or rather, make them earn less. After all, if you really think about it, they hadn't harmed him; they just didn't have faith in him and were stingy with their investments.

Suddenly, Ma Yiming slapped his arm with a "smack," then flipped his hand over, revealing a trace of blood and the dead body of a mosquito in his palm.

He couldn't help but ask, "This is the eighth floor! I remember mosquitoes are ground-dwelling insects, how did it get up here?"

Yuan Ji sneered, "Is that even a question? Of course, he climbed up by sucking the blood of the lower classes."

"...Are you putting yourself in Fang Min's shoes, the one who's trying to rid her father of evil?"

Chapter Forty-Eight: Heart-to-Heart Talk

On the second day of filming for "The Invisible Guardian", the crew members still appeared reluctant.

Even though Tang Ping announced that overtime pay would remain the same, only a few people perked up, and the effect was even less than the previous day. The vast majority still held a resistant attitude.

Of course, it didn't come to the point of being outwardly compliant but inwardly defiant, or deliberately malicious; it was just that they weren't putting their heart into it and felt that getting by was enough.

Song Tao saw this and felt quite helpless. No matter how good the idea is, if it is not executed properly, it will only result in a pile of garbage.

Remembering his boss's instructions, he hesitated, then swallowed his words.

The leader reminded him that if Tang Ping made a request, he should meet it as long as it was reasonable; if Tang Ping didn't make a request, he should do nothing and mind his own business.

He had heard about this somewhat contradictory behavior from his colleagues. The company's senior management were official staff with formal positions, but the middle management still hired managers from the entertainment industry. In the eyes of these managers, artists were just money-making machines, and all they had to do was obediently follow orders. If they encountered any troublemakers, they would have corresponding measures to punish them.

Unfortunately, "young masters" like Tang Ping are connected to high-level officials and can only be appeased, not punished. This makes it difficult for managers to control them, leaving them feeling frustrated but unable to vent their anger. In the end, they can only follow Gandhi's example and resort to nonviolent non-cooperation.

Song Tao handed a booklet to Tang Ping and said, "This is the list of actors the company has selected for 'The Invisible Guardian.' They all meet the requirements and are available to participate at any time. If you are not satisfied with any of them, or if you have better candidates, you can also suggest them."

Tang Ping took it and flipped through it. He didn't recognize most of them. He rarely paid attention to the entertainment industry and was more interested in current affairs and games. Even with top-tier celebrities, he had only heard their names through ubiquitous media promotion, but he couldn't connect their names with their appearances, unless the celebrity could sing, dance, rap, play basketball, or had a viral meme.

However, one name still caught his attention.

"Zhao Yeman plays Zhuang Xiaoman."

Song Tao thoughtfully explained, "There might be an age gap. Zhuang Xiaoman's character is supposed to be more mature. However, considering that the actresses playing the other female roles are all very young, I think the actress playing Zhuang Xiaoman shouldn't be too much younger. In this age group, the only one with reliable acting skills and available time is Zhao Yeman. Moreover, she also belongs to Youxing Company, so her appearance fee can be at an internal friendly price."

"I have no objection, as long as she is willing."

Tang Ping recalled asking Feng Yingying before whether Zhao Yeman, who worked for Youxing Entertainment, was a psychic. Feng Yingying didn't give a direct answer but hinted at it. Now, Tang Ping could only hope that Zhao Yeman was an easy person to get along with.

After all, psionicists have the right to be capricious, so Tang Ping invited only acquaintances to the psionic events.

"Let's go with the list. Invite them to come to the event for a meeting. If they look good, we'll sign the contract."

In the filming style of "The Invisible Guardian", image is far more important than acting skills.

Tang Ping thought for a moment and added, "Remember, no celebrities, unless they lower their standards. Our selling point isn't celebrities; good quality at a low price is the primary criterion."

"I know."

As Song Tao left with the list, he overheard the photographer complaining to his assistant, "I never thought I'd be reduced to shooting PPTs for others. I hate these laymen the most. They know nothing but still try to get into this industry. They have no respect for the industry because they're rich and powerful. They've lowered the standards of film and television. Even the coal bosses of the past didn't know much either, but at least they knew to respect the experts and didn't interfere."

Song Tao sighed inwardly, becoming even less optimistic about the future of his work, and left with his head down.

in the afternoon.

Song Tao submitted the list to the company and invited the actors on the list to audition. He only rushed back to the film crew after receiving a reply.

He was about to report to Tang Ping when he suddenly paused, looked around, and confirmed that it was not his imagination; the atmosphere at the scene was completely different from that morning!

All crew members were focused on filming, and no one was slacking off or chatting.

The director personally guided the actors' expressions and gestures, the prop master pondered whether there were any flaws in the set design, the makeup artist discussed whether there were any improvements to the makeup, and even the photographer who had clearly been resistant that morning now took the initiative to point out the shortcomings of the shot and requested a reshoot.

Infected by the atmosphere, even the extras became more serious and put in more effort than usual.

"W-What's going on? Have I time-traveled?"

Song Tao couldn't help but take out his phone to check the date, confirming that it hadn't changed and was indeed the day after the shoot.

He found Tang Ping, first reported on the list-making process, and then couldn't help but ask, "How did you manage to get them to obey? Did you pay them three times their normal salary?"

“I’d rather start over than pay three times the salary,” Tang Ping laughed. “Just like I said yesterday, I only asked the leader to talk to each of them once, to explain the facts and reason with them. Fortunately, everyone is reasonable and listened to me. They took the initiative to admit their previous careless mistakes, decided to correct their ways, and promised to work hard and live up to the salary we and the company pay them.”

Song Tao was stunned.

Is this the effect that the conversation can achieve?

Are you confusing conversation with brainwashing?

Could that middle-aged man who looks like a political commissar be surnamed Yuri?

During a break in filming, he approached the crew members and asked them why they had become so dedicated, only to receive different answers.

"If I don't film 'The Invisible Guardian,' I'll go back to filming 'The Flame of Love.' I'm just a wage earner; it doesn't matter who I work for, especially since I'm paid overtime."

"The Invisible Guardian looks so frivolous, yet it actually received investment from Youxing Entertainment, which even slowed down the filming process of their own movies and TV series. It's clear that Mr. Tang has real connections. If this film is successful, he might come to me again next time. Of course, I should seize the opportunity to build a good relationship."

"Everyone knows that the game and entertainment company has an official background. I think President Tang is either a second-generation or third-generation revolutionary. He's just here to gain prestige. Just keep him happy. Why make things unpleasant with him? It would be terrible if we made enemies and he remembered us. I'm just a nobody. How could I afford to offend him!"

Songtao then approached the photographer. Judging from the photographer's complaints that morning, he was someone who had convictions about his profession, was not easily bought off by money, and would not easily succumb to power. He wanted to hear how the photographer had changed his mindset.

As it turned out, I did hear different reasons.

"Recently, the industry has become increasingly sluggish, everyone's income is declining, and the number of film crews starting work has also decreased significantly. Making movies and games may sound unreliable, but it is still an attempt. If it succeeds, it will open up a new direction for our industry. The first person to try something new always has to take some risks."

When the photographer said these words, his eyes were very firm, as if he had found a life goal to strive for.

Chapter Forty-Nine: Escape is Useful

After hearing the crew's answer, Song Tao was amazed, but also felt a faint sense of fear.

The instinctive fear that arises from things that are beyond our knowledge and incomprehensible.

It's not that the crew's answers were outrageous; on the contrary, everyone's answers made a lot of sense, making people subconsciously want to agree and feel that it should be that way.

It would be one thing if one or two people were reasonable, but for everyone to be so reasonable was beyond Song Tao's imagination.

If what is true could be accepted by everyone, there would be no war in the world, and the world would be at peace long ago!

Could it really be Yuri?

Is it individual mutation or has the state developed a kind of ideological imprint?

Song Tao couldn't help but reflect on whether he had been influenced, after all, he had eaten and chatted with the other party yesterday.

Judging from the content of the recollections, it seems that there was no such thing, but it's hard to say for sure, because judging from the reactions of the crew members, they simply accepted a reasonable explanation.

Since it is reasonable, passively accepting it will not make one feel any sense of incongruity; one will only feel that it is how it should be.

The more Songtao thought about it, the more frightened he became, and the colder he felt.

Suddenly, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and his legs went weak, almost causing him to collapse to the ground in shock.

"Hey, I don't have any internal energy. This palm strike won't be enough to knock someone to the ground. Are you giving up being a good manager to switch to faking accidents?"

Tang Ping quickly helped him up and couldn't help but complain about Song Tao's exaggerated reaction: "What kind of secret are you thinking about? You're so engrossed in thinking about it in broad daylight?"

Song Tao looked at Tang Ping somewhat stiffly, his mind filled with many thoughts, yet he hesitated to speak.

Ultimately, I decided to follow my instincts, not to investigate further, and to choose to escape.

If you don't think about it, it's as if it doesn't exist.

“I was reviewing my work and realized I forgot to do something my supervisor asked me to do. I was worried about how I would be criticized afterward, and then you slapped me on the shoulder.”

Tang Ping gave the other person a meaningful look and advised, "There's no use worrying now. We've finished filming today, everyone's off work, let's go back to the hotel for dinner together."

"No, I need to hurry back and see if I can fix the loopholes. Even if I'm bound to be criticized, it'll be good to reduce my anxiety."

"As long as you can think positively, don't be too anxious. I can't do without you for my work."

After watching Song Tao leave, Tang Ping shook her head and went to the hotel for dinner.

During the meal, Yuan Ji brought over his tray and asked curiously, "What are you thinking about? I've noticed you've been absent-minded ever since you came back from the theater."

"I wonder how an ordinary person who cannot awaken their spirituality would react after discovering the existence of psychics."

"What a pointless question. I'll ask you: are materialists theists or atheists?"

"If the existence of God can be proven, then materialists are theists; otherwise, they are atheists."

"That settles it. Facts don't change according to human will. Whether you accept them or reject them, the facts are there. Those scientists who study psychic abilities, and the soldiers who participated in the operation during the demonic calamity, they also do not possess spirituality, and they still face the existence of psychics."

"This is survivor bias. You've only met people who are willing to accept the existence of psionicists. There might be a group of people who refuse to accept it, and naturally they won't participate in related activities."

"Then there's nothing we can do. Being realistic and pragmatic isn't something everyone can do. Aren't there tons of those old party members who are officials praying to gods and Buddhas for protection? If they can't do it, how can we expect ordinary people to?"

"It makes sense."

Tang Ping nodded, putting the question that had just arisen out of her mind.

The following day, Song Tao returned to the filming set as a producer, acting as usual and as conscientious as ever, without showing any signs of abnormality.

The actors on the list arrived one after another. Tang Ping required them to get their makeup done first. As long as their appearance matched the character in the script after makeup, they would sign a contract on the spot, without going through the "go back and wait for notification" process, prioritizing efficiency.

In the end, only two people did not fit the role image, so Songtao had to choose new people. The rest signed contracts.

That afternoon, Ma Yiming's younger sister, Ma Feiyan, arrived at the filming location.

Hello everyone.

Without the slightest bit of shyness, Ma Feiyan greeted everyone with a smile, and finally said to Tang Ping, "I thought you would become a game streamer, and I was thinking of pretending to accidentally connect to your room. I didn't expect you to only choose 'games' and not 'streamer'. It was really unexpected. When my brother called me, I thought he was doing a prank show!"

Ma Yiming, who was standing next to him, retorted, "I don't have that kind of humor."