Losing Money to Be a Tycoon

May 9th, Wednesday…

Lin Jiaqiang was in a good mood as he stepped onto Jingzhou's land once again.

Perhaps it was because he had a very good working relationship with Tengda previously.

The last time he came to Jingzhou was in September 2010. At that time, Lin Jiaqiang had come to Jingzhou with his three brothers to film the promotional video for Bloody Battle Song: The Powerful Version.

At that time, Tengda had given them a very generous price. Each person was paid 500,000 yuan. This was an opportunity that they could not ask for, especially for people like them who had long been outdated and had problems even to fill their stomachs.

What's more, the entire filming process was relaxing and pleasant.

Lin Jiaqiang only wore a special COS armor, held a plastic machete, and posed a few times in front of the camera. He did not even say many lines before he finished filming. The actual filming time was less than half an hour.

Other than that, he would spend the rest of his time eating and drinking in Jingzhou, playing with his old friends.

Everything was perfect except for this promotional video that affected his image and was often used as a joke.

However, this was not a big problem. So what if they, as outdated supporting actors, who were about to be forgotten, were mocked as long as they earned money?

Wasn't it common for people to mock actors for acting ugly in movies?

What's more, if this advertisement became popular, it would increase their exposure in front of netizens. It was profitable no matter how they thought about it.

Therefore, Lin Jiaqiang agreed on the spot after he received Tengda's invitation again more than a year later.

He only asked what the promotional video was after he agreed. The other party replied that it was a promotional video for fitness equipment.

Lin Jiaqiang was confused.

You're asking me to shoot an advertisement for fitness equipment with my figure?

Something was amiss, right?

Did something go wrong?

However, on further thought, he realized that the advertisements produced by Bloody Battle Song: The Powerful Version had been rather indecent when he first heard about it. However, the publicity effect had been quite good.

He could only say that Tengda seemed to prefer this kind of advertisement.

Lin Jiaqiang did not think too much about it. It was enough as long as there was an advertisement. As for the effect of the advertisement, that was something that others had to consider. What did it have to do with him?

Thus, he did not think too much about it. He stopped worrying and waited for the arrangements.

Lin Jiaqiang did not have a schedule now. Thus, he settled his matters and booked a flight to Jingzhou.

It was the same as the last time he came to Jingzhou. There was a special car to pick him up and a five-star hotel for his food and accommodation. All in all, everything was arranged clearly. Lin Jiaqiang rarely experienced such treatment even when he was at his peak.

The staff arranged for Lin Jiaqiang to stay and rest first when they arrived at the hotel. They said that they would inform him immediately once they were done with filming.

…

At the same time, Meng Chang was perfecting the details of the promotional video in the marketing department.

Yu Yao walked quickly to his side and said, "Brother Meng, Lin Jiaqiang is here. I've arranged for him to stay in the hotel. Filming can start anytime in the next two days."

Meng Chang was a little surprised. "So soon?"

"Oh, that's right. He doesn't have a schedule now. There's no need to make an appointment."

As the person-in-charge of the department, Meng Chang naturally would not do everything himself. What's more, he had not planned to do the job well. Therefore, he handed most of the details to Yu Yao to handle, including contacting Lin Jiaqiang and preparing the filming location. He did not ask anything.

He originally thought that Lin Jiaqiang would only arrive in Jingzhou two days later. He had not expected him to arrive so quickly. He had not even finished editing the proposal for the publicity video.

Yu Yao asked, "Then… should we let him stay in the hotel first and arrange for someone to bring him to Jingzhou to play for two days? We can slowly prepare here."

Meng Chang shook his head. "There's no need. Let's start filming in the afternoon!"

Meng Chang did not have to be too bothered with the details since the film was just a casual shot even though the details of the promotional video were not perfect.

"Where's the filming location?" Meng Chang asked.

Yu Yao answered truthfully, "I originally wanted to take it in Sloth Apartments, but after thinking about it carefully, the environment in Sloth Apartments looks too good. It doesn't seem to meet your requirements, Brother Meng."

"Therefore, we found an ordinary rental house and tried our best to recreate the living conditions of young people, especially for the homebodies."

"This is a photo."

Yu Yao handed his cell phone over and Meng Chang reached out to take it. He looked at the picture of the rental apartment and nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmm, not bad, it suits my requirements!"

The entire filming process this time was to be conducted in the room. There were no outdoor scenes, so it was easier to set it up.

If it was a normal publicity video, they would definitely have to find a clean and bright 'DEAM HOUSE' to film it. They would also have to match it with a sweet-looking lady. That would leave a good impression on the audience.

However, Meng Chang had no intention of leaving a good impression on the audience. What's more, the protagonist they had chosen was a "standard fat geek" like Lin Jiaqiang, who weighed more than two hundred kilograms. The room must be messy to match his image.

Of course, he could not go overboard. Otherwise, his identity as a spy would be exposed if he made it too obvious. It would not be easy to clean up the mess.

"In that case, let's film this afternoon!"

"We have the venue and the actors are in place. I'll make the best use of my time to edit the proposal. Let's end this quickly."

Meng Chang began to make the final edits of the document quickly. Then, he printed it out and rushed to the filming location.

Yu Yao quickly went back to work.

They were very efficient and suited Tengda Corporation's style.

…

In the afternoon, at the filming location of the publicity video.

Meng Chang, Yu Yao, Lin Jiaqiang, and the staff who were filming the promotional video were all present.

After exchanging pleasantries, Meng Chang distributed the script of the publicity video to the staff at the scene and briefly explained the scene to Lin Jiaqiang.

"Actually, you don't have to analyze this script. You just have to act according to your first impression. Do you understand?" Meng Chang hinted frantically.

Obviously, Meng Chang did not want Lin Jiaqiang's acting skills to suddenly explode, contribute to a hot topic on the internet and make the smart fitness drying rack popular.

The worse Lin Jiaqiang's acting skills were, the higher chances Meng Chang had of getting a high commission.

Lin Jiaqiang read the script from beginning to end seriously and nodded. "Don't worry, I'm familiar with this role!"

He had acted in many ridiculous comedies before. There were often some ridiculous and bizarre plots in them. He could not help but feel happy when he saw the publicity film, which was a little ridiculous. Wasn't this his strong point? He should act as himself!

Meng Chang nodded. "Alright, let's start filming. Let's take it and see how it goes."

Everyone quickly got into position and began filming.

Lin Jiaqiang had not acted in a movie for a long time, but he was an old actor after all. He still had his foundation. What's more, he did not need to memorize lines in the publicity video. He only needed to make all sorts of exaggerated expressions and movements. Therefore, there was basically no difficulty.

The edited version of the publicity video took about two minutes. The few scenes were not complicated, so it was filmed very quickly.

All the sets and props had been prepared. Lin Jiaqiang entered the scene very quickly. In less than half an hour, he finished filming all the scenes.

"Alright, cut!"

Yu Yao looked at Meng Chang. "Boss Meng, can you give us some instructions?"

Lin Jiaqiang's acting was alright but he could still pick a problem if he really had to. As a director, even if there were no problems, they would usually "save one". It was just like how the client had to find fault with the first version no matter how satisfied he was with it and forcefully produce the second version.

Meng Chang fell silent.

It was not that he had too many opinions or was dissatisfied with Lin Jiaqiang's performance. The situation was exactly the opposite.

Lin Jiaqiang was acting too well!

Whether or not a short comedy like this would produce laughs depended on the actor's acting.

It was just like many domestic comedians. When they acted, it was like they were forcefully scratching the audience's armpits. Many joke segments would not make people feel funny, rather they would make people feel awkward.

However, Lin Jiaqiang was a veteran comedian after all. He might be outdated now, but his skills were still there. His exaggerated actions and expressions, coupled with the voice-over, were quite interesting.

Before Meng Chang could say anything, Lin Jiaqiang volunteered. "Everyone, feel free to voice your opinions. I haven't acted in a long time and I have not recovered my state."

"However, I'm getting better and better. I'll definitely be able to act better if I were to take another shot!"