“All departments, in position!”
The clapperboard snapped shut with a loud clack.
The camera pushed forward, settling steadily in front of the checkout counter.
The bookstore was very quiet.
Shen Xu stood behind the wooden counter, a rag in his hand as he slowly wiped the surface.
Sunlight streamed in at an angle through the floor-to-ceiling windows, landing on his profile. He looked clean and gentle, appearing to be nothing more than an ordinary clerk.
Just then, the bookstore door was pushed open.
Intern officer Xiao Wang, who would later become Fang Rui's apprentice, walked in. Having just finished patrolling nearby, he wanted to buy a book on his way back.
“Excuse me, boss. I'm looking for a book on criminal psychology,” Xiao Wang said, wiping away a bead of sweat. “The newly released edition.”
Shen Xu looked up.
At this moment, Jiang Yue had only loaded 【Vocal Control】.
On camera, he looked almost exactly like his usual self.
Refreshed, easygoing, and entirely devoid of any oppressive aura.
“It's on the bottom shelf of the third row,” he said, stepping out from behind the counter with a light, brisk step. “Just a moment, let me get it for you.”
Retrieving the book, ringing it up, and bagging it—the entire sequence of actions was incredibly smooth.
As he handed over the paper bag, he offered a friendly smile.
“Officer, it's quite hot today. This bottle of mineral water is on the house.”
Xiao Wang took the water, startled for a second before smiling in return.
“Thanks a lot.”
Shen Xu's smile was exceptionally warm.
“My pleasure.”
The exchange between the two was brief.
Xiao Wang carried the paper bag and pushed the door open to leave.
The wind chime jingled softly as the door closed behind him, plunging the bookstore back into silence.
Shen Xu still stood before the counter, his rag resting motionless on the wooden surface.
At this exact second, Jiang Yue gave the command in his mind.
“System.”
“Load 【Refined Scoundrel】 and 【Micro-Expression Master】.”
The camera lingered on Shen Xu's face. His body maintained its relaxed posture from moments ago.
However, the gentle smile at the corner of his lips began to sour. The originally warm curve gradually morphed into something precise, polite, and completely devoid of warmth.
Shen Xu lowered his eyes, his slender fingers sliding into his pocket to retrieve the old pocket watch with the cracked glass cover.
Click.
His thumb pressed the latch, and the cover popped open, revealing hands that had stopped moving long ago.
Shen Xu stared at the watch face as the emotions in his eyes drained away, layer by layer.
Warmth, brightness, and amiability—all of it vanished, leaving only a cold detachment and a deeply suppressed desolation.
He didn't feel that the world had wronged him.
He simply felt that this world was beyond saving from the very start.
Throughout the entire process, he didn't utter a single word.
Only at the very end did his finger gently nudge the frozen hands of the watch.
Then.
Snap.
The cover closed.
Shen Xu looked up once more, gazing at the crowd passing by outside the glass window.
That gentle mask was seamlessly donned once again, fitting perfectly without a single gap.
“Cut!”
Li Cheng slapped his thigh so hard that the teacup beside him rattled.
“Fuck, that was brilliant!”
Li Cheng rarely cursed on set.
But this time, he truly couldn't help himself.
Tang Feng stood to the side, the shock on his face nearly impossible to conceal.
He had originally only wanted Jiang Yue to give a simple reaction to the pocket watch, but this kid had gone ahead and delivered a whole character backstory through his acting.
This wasn't just answering a question.
This was finishing the exam and casually writing a perfect, full-score essay to go with it.
“Director Li, this contrast...” Tang Feng took a deep breath.
Li Cheng stared at the monitor, nodding repeatedly.
“Keep it.”
“We absolutely must keep this take. At most, we'll do one more just as a backup.”
Over the next two hours, the crew's efficiency reached absurd levels.
Two indoor scenes and three transition shots.
As long as Li Cheng called for action, Jiang Yue could instantly switch his state.
If the director wanted warmth, he was brighter than anyone. If the director wanted darkness, he could make the extras acting opposite him forget their lines on the spot.
Almost every single take was a one-take wonder.
If they hadn't been worried about having safety backups of the footage, many of the shots wouldn't have needed to be refilmed at all.
The way the crew members looked at him gradually began to change as well.
Back when they were filming Zhang Yu, the lighting crew had to spend half the day just trying to find an angle that didn't make his face look bloated.
Today, Jiang Yue could be filmed no matter where he stood. The guy seemed to be a natural born for the camera.
At 4:30 PM, the final shot was locked in.
Li Cheng picked up his walkie-talkie, his voice noticeably lighter.
“Alright, that's a wrap.”
“I officially declare that Shen Xu's scenes are wrapped!”
A burst of applause instantly erupted across the set.
The looks the crew members gave Jiang Yue were filled with nothing but pure admiration.
To put it bluntly, film sets were highly pragmatic places.
No matter how much one boasted, it meant nothing; the camera revealed the truth. Jiang Yue had used a single day to thoroughly win everyone over.
He unequipped the traits in his mind, letting out a long sigh of relief.
Constantly switching states was actually quite mentally exhausting.
The cheats were useful, but they weren't entirely free of mana cost.
A production assistant handed him a large red envelope.
This was a customary practice on film sets.
Jiang Yue accepted it and pinched its thickness, a very genuine smile appearing on his face.
Assistant Director Old Wu walked over with a tablet, his attitude incredibly warm.
“Teacher Jiang, the finance department is already processing the payment. The remaining balance will arrive in thirty minutes at the latest. Thank you for your hard work these past two days!”
“It was no trouble at all, Director Wu.”
Jiang Yue went to the dressing room to change back into his own clothes. When he emerged, he was once again carrying his computer repair tool bag on his back.
“If you ever have computer trouble in the future, feel free to contact me.”
“I'll give the crew a twenty percent discount.”
Old Wu stared blankly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
The way he said that, wasn't he putting the cart before the horse?
With acting skills like that, why on earth was he still repairing computers?
Li Cheng walked over and grabbed Jiang Yue's arm.
“Jiang Yue, you haven't signed with an agency yet, have you?”
His eyes were incredibly bright, as if he had just laid eyes on a piece of raw, unpolished jade.
“No,” Jiang Yue answered honestly. “I'm graduating soon and still looking for a job.”
Li Cheng took a deep breath, his tone becoming much more serious.
“Then take my advice: don't just sign with any random, sketchy small company.”
“This drama will finish post-production and go online in just a few months.”
“Once Shen Xu's character is broadcasted, trust me, major agencies will definitely come looking for you.”
Li Cheng wasn't just being polite.
In the entertainment industry today, there were far too many expressionless pretty boys.
A newcomer like Jiang Yue—who had the looks, the presence, and could genuinely act—only needed a single opportunity to soar.
More importantly, he was clean. He wasn't tied down by any agency, nor did he carry any messy baggage.
Once the market noticed someone like him, he would become a hot commodity.
Jiang Yue nodded. “Thank you for your guidance, Director Li.”
After saying goodbye to the crew, he walked out of the film and television city.
His phone vibrated, and he looked down.
“Your savings account ending in 9527 has received a deposit of 70,000.00 RMB. Your current balance is 116,240.50 RMB.”
Staring at the string of numbers, Jiang Yue stretched comfortably against the backdrop of the setting sun.
At the same time, a pale blue light screen popped up in the bottom-right corner of his vision.
【The crew's intense shock and recognition has caused your Prestige points to steadily increase...】
【Current Prestige points: 850】
Jiang Yue's eyes flickered.
He wasn't far off from the one thousand Prestige points needed for a High-Tier Draw.
On the other side of things.
Inside Studio 3.
After the wrap-up, the set gradually grew quiet.
Li Cheng sat alone in front of the monitor, repeatedly scrubbing back and forth on the playback bar.
On screen, Jiang Yue was looking down, playing with the old pocket watch.
He watched it once, then watched it again.
The more he watched, the more incredible he found it.
Just then, the phone on the table rang.
A name flashed on the screen: Xu Pingqiu.
He was a top director in the Xia Nation's film and television industry, specializing in serious dramas and historical masterpieces.
The scene Wang Jin had caused yesterday was precisely for the sake of Xu Pingqiu's upcoming project.
Li Cheng picked up the call. “Old Xu, what a rare guest.”
A deep, powerful voice echoed from the other end of the line.
“Cut the crap, Old Li. I heard you threw a tantrum on set and fired Xinghui Entertainment's Zhang Yu?”
“News travels fast,” Li Cheng sneered. “What, did Wang Jin run to you to complain?”
Xu Pingqiu's tone carried a hint of curiosity. “He doesn't have the right. You've always been tactful. Who on earth did you do this for, to dare flip the table on Xinghui directly?”
Li Cheng stared at Jiang Yue on the screen. After a two-second silence, he spoke.
“For a true genius.”
With that, Li Cheng leaned back in his chair and directly clicked to export the video.
“No more talking. I just shot some footage, and I've sent it to your WeChat.”
The other end of the line fell silent for a brief moment.
“Alright, I'll take a look.”
The call disconnected.
Five minutes later, the phone began to vibrate frantically once more.
The caller was, once again, Xu Pingqiu.
Li Cheng looked at the screen, his expression unchanged as he picked up the phone and answered.
Rate on N.U.
