Chapter 14: The Small-Time Star and His Short-Tempered Sugar Daddy (Part XIV)
Cheng Nuo believed that having known him for over a decade, he understood Fang Yinnian.
Fang Yinnian was a businessman who never made a losing deal.
His past investments in Cheng Nuo, which allowed Cheng Nuo to reach his current heights as expected, were mutually beneficial. But Xiao Ji’s situation was different.
In Xiao Ji’s case, to make a comeback, he needed a large amount of capital to forcefully prop him up for a chance to turn the tables against the wind.
Moreover, Xiao Ji’s acting skills were mediocre. Relying solely on that face wasn’t a long-term plan; he could only eat the meal of youth, and the return on investment was really not high.
Fang Yinnian wasn’t the type to be obsessed with beauty and throw away money just for a smile.
Cheng Nuo previously thought Xiao Ji was honest, but now it seemed he was also a scheming character.
Cheng Nuo didn’t believe for a second that Fang Yinnian actively gave him resources. If Xiao Ji used some tricks to wear Fang Yinnian down until he had no choice but to let him audition just to make him realize the difficulty and back off, Cheng Nuo would find that more credible.
Auditioning for an endorsement and acting were not the same thing. It didn’t require acting skills; what it required was enough camera presence and the ability to stimulate the audience’s desire to consume.
The point of a sports brand that best stimulates the audience’s desire to consume is nothing more than the blood-pumping explosive power during exercise and the spokesperson’s agile posture and enviable figure.
The audition studio wasn’t big and contained some professional sports equipment.
As luck would have it, Xiao Ji was right behind Cheng Nuo. They entered together, and Xiao Ji leaned against the door frame, staring at Cheng Nuo.
Regardless of his external conditions, Cheng Nuo had the airs of a Film Emperor. He bent down to lift the barbell on the floor and stated his conditions:
“The weight is a bit heavy; have the prop team change it.”
The brand side was very cooperative and gave Cheng Nuo plenty of face.
As an excellent actor, Cheng Nuo also deliberately maintained his figure. He used the sports equipment very smoothly and had a great sense of the camera, knowing what expression to give at what angle.
Overall, except for his own shortcomings, his performance was perfect.
But for some reason, he just felt that beneath Xiao Ji’s indifferent expression lay a trace of imperceptible mockery.
So after the audition, he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stood in a corner, using rest as an excuse, intending to watch Xiao Ji make a fool of himself.
The first thing Xiao Ji did before preparing for the audition was to take off the loose T-shirt he was wearing.
When he entered the camera range, a pair of sky-high long legs and perfectly smooth muscle lines immediately attracted the attention of everyone present.
Someone in the director team immediately began to evaluate Xiao Ji, whispering to the person next to them:
“From a professional perspective, whether it’s the head-to-shoulder ratio, waist-to-shoulder ratio, or waist-to-hip ratio, he perfectly conforms to human visual aesthetics. We can tentatively shortlist him.”
The person next to him frowned upon hearing this: “Don’t you know him? Xiao Ji. He’s currently stuck in the quagmire of a homosexuality scandal that can’t be washed clean. Hiring him as a spokesperson might cause a lot of trouble later.”
The person who spoke earlier was stunned: “Who sent him the audition invitation?”
Everyone looked at each other. After a while, the chief director took a sip of tea and said: “I sent it. Let’s just watch first, don’t rush.”
Xiao Ji didn’t choose the sports equipment in the venue for display. Instead, he politely said to the staff: “Please give me half a bottle of mineral water, thank you.”
Hearing this, the staff member casually handed the half-drunk mineral water in their hand to Xiao Ji.
Xiao Ji took the water bottle, thanked them again, and nodded to the photography team to indicate he was ready.
The clapperboard sounded.
As Xiao Ji tossed the water bottle up, he leaped up and delivered a flying kick to the falling bottle.
The moment his black tactical boot connected with the water bottle, the bottle exploded instantly, water splashing everywhere as Xiao Ji turned and landed.
And in the next second, the kicked plastic water bottle landed in the trash can in the corner of the studio.
What was more terrifying was that all the water splashes were perfectly displayed in front of the camera before falling to the ground.
Except for Cheng Nuo, who was standing in a relatively remote place and got splashed in the face, no one else suffered any unwarranted disaster.
The whole place was silent.
This was definitely not a coincidence.
After a long time, the chief director called cut and began to repeatedly watch the shot just taken.
Xiao Ji in the lens was no different from him in person; there was no issue of being photogenic or not. Beneath that cold face, the whole person was like a beast full of explosive power.
The sense of power and beauty in the flying rotation was maxed out completely. The moment the water exploded, it made people’s scalps tingle.
The movement upon landing was crisp, neat, and very steady; it was definitely not something that could be trained overnight.
All the details were perfectly captured by the lens, and he always remained at the center point.
A group of people gathered in front of the camera and watched for a long time before the chief director spoke, somewhat excitedly: “I have an idea. Can you complete some high-difficulty sports challenges, like parkour, obstacle courses, or rock climbing?”
Most sports brand advertisements on the market feature scenes of running and fitness, which are really unoriginal.
He had long had the idea of combining advertisements with the texture of blockbuster movies. However, firstly, the production cost is high, and secondly, the requirements for the candidate to shoot completely real scenes are too high.
Initially, the brand also looked for professionals in this field, but those with the body didn’t have the looks, and there were few with outstanding looks who had this kind of skill.
Helplessly, the idea could only be shelved, complying with market rules and focusing on candidates from the entertainment and modeling industries.
Xiao Ji stood still, unruffled: “I can.”
The chief director slapped the table: “Wait outside for notification.”
Xiao Ji put on his clothes and left the studio.
Just as he was about to leave, he was stopped by the chief director’s assistant:
“Hello, Mr. Xiao. Director Yu asked you not to leave yet and wait a bit longer.”
Xiao Ji nodded, said thanks, and sat in the hallway, waiting obediently.
…
At this moment, inside the studio, Cheng Nuo stood in the corner, looking at the chief director with a stiff face:
“Director Yu, have you… made up your mind?”
The chief director was still studying the video Xiao Ji just shot. Hearing this, he looked at Cheng Nuo and smiled apologetically:
“Teacher Cheng, I’m sorry, we still need to discuss it further. This batch of young people who came to audition is really… they are all too excellent.”
The fact that Cheng Nuo and Fang Yinnian were close was known to everyone in the industry. Since they were brothers, there was nothing to be taboo about.
He said bluntly: “If you want a cinematic texture, obviously, I am the best choice.”
The chief director didn’t deny it: “Indeed, with your acting skills and popularity, if the advertisement is shot in the form of a movie, you are indeed the best candidate. But honestly, we are currently still developing. The momentum is good, but we haven’t reached a certain height yet. On one hand, funds for advertising and endorsements are limited. On the other hand, we are afraid our small temple can’t accommodate a big Buddha.”
These words were euphemistic, but the meaning was already clear. They had basically ruled out the possibility of choosing Cheng Nuo.
Cheng Nuo’s face was dark: “Regarding the funding issue, didn’t Brother Nian contact you?”
The chief director was also a clever person; he knew what to say and what not to say. Hearing this, he just chuckled:
“Film Emperor Cheng must be joking. With your friendship with President Fang, how could it be our turn as outsiders to intervene?”
Cheng Nuo didn’t get a definite answer, but there were too many problems that could be analyzed from Director Yu’s attitude.
Unexpectedly, Fang Yinnian must have explicitly offered conditions to the brand, but the object of these conditions would definitely not be him, Cheng Nuo—or rather, not just him.
Xiao Ji’s performance was indeed stunning, but for Director Yu to almost decide on the spot, it was highly likely because whether they chose him or Xiao Ji, Fang Yinnian would provide funding.
And unexpectedly, the funding amount for the brand choosing Xiao Ji might be even higher than choosing him.
Xiao Ji waited outside the studio for about an hour before receiving notification from the brand to go directly to the shooting location for official filming the day after tomorrow.
He said goodbye to the director. Just as he walked a short distance, Cheng Nuo’s voice came from behind:
“Xiao Ji.”
Xiao Ji stopped. Just as he turned around, he was hit squarely by Cheng Nuo’s fist.
Xiao Ji tilted his head slightly, showing no reaction. He simply licked his canine tooth, raised his lips at Cheng Nuo, and said:
“Film Emperor Cheng, is this incompetent rage?”
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