At Lion Rock Film Studio in Hong Kong, on the old Fa'en Temple set, the quiet of the past few days had vanished.
The tarps covering the props had been pulled away. The expensive high-definition digital cameras were back in position. Sound, lighting, art, makeup, the entire crew buzzed with energy, working as if they'd all been injected with adrenaline.
'A Chinese Ghost Story' was finally back in production.
Ever since the opening ceremony, everyone on the crew had been riding an emotional roller coaster. At one point, panic had spread through the set as people feared the production would be shut down altogether. Now that the storm had finally passed, everyone's spirits were naturally high.
The Hong Kong film industry was more competitive than ever, but the market itself wasn't getting any bigger. Many people in the business couldn't find steady work and had no choice but to switch careers or look for opportunities in the Mainland, Taiwan, Japan, or South Korea.
Changing careers after spending years in the industry wasn't easy, and working away from home came with its own hardships.
That was why everyone treasured the job they had now. More importantly, Lu Chen, the film's biggest investor, had a reputation for being generous and easy to work with. Nobody felt they would lose out by following him.
So when Honghua had applied pressure, they had chosen to stay instead of walking away.
It turned out to be the right decision.
The moment they received notice that filming would resume, everyone rushed back to the set. Chen Wenqiang didn't even need to organize them, they all got straight to work preparing for the restart on their own.
By the time Lu Chen arrived at the Fa'en Temple set with Chen Fei'er, the place was already packed.
The atmosphere couldn't have been better.
"This is my girlfriend."
Lu Chen introduced Chen Fei'er to Chen Wenqiang first.
"This is Mr. Chen Wenqiang, the production manager."
"Hello, Uncle Qiang."
Chen Fei'er smiled warmly as she offered her hand.
"Lu Chen has mentioned you to me several times. Thanks to your help, he was able to establish himself here in Hong Kong."
Chen Wenqiang was so flattered that he hurriedly shook her hand.
"You're giving me far too much credit, Miss Chen. It's an honor to meet you. I've heard so much about you. Young Lu is truly a lucky man!"
Of course, he knew Lu Chen's girlfriend was the famous superstar Chen Fei'er. As one of the few Mainland celebrities with real popularity in Hong Kong, she occasionally appeared in local newspapers and magazines.
But none of those photos came close to capturing how stunning she was in person.
Without even wearing makeup, she was breathtaking. Every smile and every glance seemed effortlessly graceful, leaving people dazzled.
Hong Kong had never lacked beautiful women. Every year's Miss Hong Kong and Miss Asia competitions produced countless beauties.
Yet, in Chen Wenqiang's eyes, all the contestants he'd ever met seemed to be missing something when compared with Chen Fei'er.
Wan Xiaoquan already knew Chen Fei'er, so the two greeted each other warmly.
Grinning, Wan Xiaoquan joked, "Since you're already here, why not make a cameo in the movie?"
Chen Fei'er exchanged a look with Lu Chen.
With a smile, Lu Chen replied, "Director Wan, I'm thinking of having Fei'er play the Tree Demon Granny."
"What?"
Wan Xiaoquan and Chen Wenqiang blurted out in unison.
"Play the Tree Demon Granny?"
In 'A Chinese Ghost Story', the Tree Demon Granny was the main villain, a ruthless, vicious monster overflowing with demonic energy. That was why the role had originally been given to Liu Zhaohui in drag.
Liu Zhaohui had already left the production, and Chen Wenqiang had been struggling to find a replacement. The role demanded both a distinctive presence and strong acting skills, otherwise, it would come across as awkward and ridiculous.
So hearing that Chen Fei'er wanted to play the Tree Demon Granny left both him and Wan Xiaoquan completely stunned.
Chen Fei'er smiled.
"I want to challenge myself."
That alone was reason enough.
On the way over, Lu Chen had already given it serious thought.
"It was Fei'er's idea, and I think it can work. We'll mainly need to revise the character design and put more effort into the special-effects makeup. I'm confident the final result will be excellent."
His original vision for the Tree Demon Granny had been based on the version from the Dream World. But with Chen Fei'er taking the role, that approach obviously wouldn't work anymore. The character would have to be redesigned to suit her.
Wan Xiaoquan considered it for a moment before making up his mind.
"Let's give it a try."
His reasoning was simple.
First, he wasn't about to turn down Lu Chen's request.
Second, having superstar Chen Fei'er join 'A Chinese Ghost Story' as the main villain would generate tremendous publicity and be a huge boost to the film's box office prospects in the Mainland.
And finally, casting Chen Fei'er as the Tree Demon Granny would give the movie an even more distinctive style.
Since both Lu Chen and Wan Xiaoquan agreed, Chen Wenqiang naturally had no objections.
Just then, another group entered the set.
Leading them was Nie Mingzhu.
The moment she spotted Chen Fei'er standing beside Lu Chen, surprise flashed across her eyes. She quickly walked over.
"Young Lu, Director Wan, Uncle Qiang."
After greeting everyone, her gaze settled on Chen Fei'er.
"You must be Sister Chen Fei'er, right?"
Lu Chen quickly introduced them.
"This is Miss Nie Mingzhu. She's playing Nie Xiaoqian."
"So you're Miss Nie."
Chen Fei'er smiled and offered her hand.
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is all mine!"
Nie Mingzhu beamed.
"Just call me Mingzhu. I'm a huge fan of yours! I even asked a friend in the Mainland to buy me ten copies of your 'Flower Woman' album just so I could collect them. Those songs are amazing!"
Gone was her usual cool, aloof demeanor. She looked just like any ordinary young woman meeting her favorite celebrity, her excitement completely genuine.
To be honest, it would have been impossible for Chen Fei'er not to feel at least a little jealous after seeing such a beautiful actress cast opposite Lu Chen. But seeing Nie Mingzhu's innocent, straightforward enthusiasm quickly put those feelings to rest.
"Thank you, little sister Mingzhu."
Within minutes of meeting, the two were already calling each other "big sister" and "little sister," chatting as though they'd known each other for years.
Their conversation quickly drifted from the film and their roles to skincare, makeup, handbags, and all sorts of other topics that women could happily discuss for hours.
Lu Chen was more than happy to let them chat. Meanwhile, he asked Chen Wenqiang to gather everyone on the crew.
Once everyone had assembled, Lu Chen made three announcements.
First, 'A Chinese Ghost Story' was officially resuming production. All the previous problems had been resolved.
Second, Chen Fei'er, the Mainland's superstar diva, had officially joined the cast as the Tree Demon Granny.
Third, after the film's release, Lu Chen Studio would set aside ten percent of its share of the box office profits as a bonus pool, to be distributed among every member of the crew based on their contributions.
Each announcement was met with thunderous applause and cheers.
By the time he finished the third one, the cheering was so loud it felt like the roof might come off.
With morale this high, if they still couldn't make 'A Chinese Ghost Story' a success, it would truly be a disgrace.
(End Of This Chapter)
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