They first got their room keys, went upstairs to drop off their suitcases, and then headed downstairs to eat.
The restaurant was right next to the hotel and run by the same owner. When they arrived at the private room, the food hadn't been served yet. Some people were cracking sunflower seeds, others were shelling peanuts, and the room was bustling with activity.
Ni Bingyan glanced over and saw that two tables had been set up.
The tables were the traditional square kind, the type that would feel cramped with eight burly men sitting at one. It looked like only a dozen or so people had arrived tonight.
Director Deng Yu was sitting in a corner with a notebook, quietly refining his storyboards.
This was Ni Bingyan's first time working with him, and she had only met him once during her audition. Unfamiliar with his personality, she went over to greet him. After exchanging a few pleasantries, his eyes returned to his notebook. He clearly wasn't the type for small talk, so she followed Peng Huan to find familiar faces to chat with.
Ni Bingyan had sharp eyes and, in that brief moment, managed to make out the contents of his notebook.
'The drawings are stick figures and the writing is scrawled. So he's one of those conceptual directors.'
'When it's time to perform, I'll have to really think carefully and nail the feeling he's looking for. Otherwise, there will be endless retakes.'
The director was probably already playing the movie out in his head, so Ni Bingyan decided not to disturb him. She scanned the room and saw a small, skinny man standing by the window, phone in hand, slamming the windowsill as he cursed into it:
"We're about to start filming, and you decide to fucking drop the ball on me now? What, you think the whole show can't go on without you? Just tell me, can you be here tomorrow or not! If not, I'll find a replacement tonight!"
"What did you just say? 'It's not a big deal?' How dare you say that? I'm Old Liu, and everyone knows I'm shameless, but even I wouldn't have the nerve to say something like that!"
"And you have the nerve to tell me not to be angry? Wouldn't you be pissed if you were in my shoes? You agreed to it, and now you're bailing at the last second! I didn't trick you; I was crystal clear about the terms from the start! Those were the conditions! Now you want to jack up the price? That's no way to do business!"
"Tell me, who's going to trust a word you say from now on? You think I'll come to you next time I need people? Even a fart makes a noise when it comes out!"
Seeing Ni Bingyan looking over, Peng Huan smiled and gave her a little tug, then asked someone they knew, "What's wrong with our assistant director? Why's he so furious?"
Someone replied, "Sister Huanhuan, you hadn't heard? Brother Liu just got a call from the extras coordinator. The extras they'd arranged can't come anymore. They're complaining that the location is too remote and the conditions are poor, so they're demanding a pay raise. Brother Liu wanted to just find someone else, but the coordinator is being a pain and won't back down. You know how things are with this production, right?"
The person gave Peng Huan a knowing look. Peng Huan got it, and so did Ni Bingyan.
'The production is poor, so they have to be extremely frugal.'
'The conditions for this shoot are genuinely tough, so it's understandable for the extras coordinator to complain. But they had already agreed on the terms. Demanding more money at the last minute is just bad form.'
'How this gets resolved will come down to who has more leverage.'
'Nothing's easy these days!'
This wasn't something an actress needed to worry about, so Ni Bingyan was content to just watch the drama.
'I didn't expect the diminutive Liu Zhicheng to have such a ferocious temper. I'd better not get on his bad side.'
'On a big production, the casting AD and the on-set AD are usually separate roles. With both jobs falling on one person's shoulders, it's no wonder he's so irritable.'
Ni Bingyan, having come from a humble background, was an expert at reading people and situations. She hadn't been in the room for long, but she had already figured out a lot.
Lost in thought, she had walked over to a sofa in the corner, where a group of people were gathered around a peeling coffee table, playing cards.
Before Peng Huan could make introductions, a quick-witted person offered up their seat and invited the two of them to sit down.
"Sister Bingbing, Sister Huan, you're finally here!"
Peng Huan sat right down, calling out, "Let me in for a few rounds!" Her hands were already on the cards, a clear sign she was very familiar with the group.
No one was annoyed. In fact, someone else gave up their seat, calling for Ni Bingyan to sit across from them. "Sister Bingbing, come play for a while."
She wasn't a huge star, but she wasn't a nobody in the industry either. Since they all worked in the same circle, even if people didn't know her well, they at least knew of her.
On previous sets, people had always called her "Bingyan"—a name that was friendly but still maintained a certain distance, largely because her body's 'original owner' hadn't been a particularly warm person.
This time, however, everyone was using her nickname. 'They must be a bunch of gossip hounds,' she thought. 'They must know about my dad's livestream a few days ago.'
She was happy to be more down-to-earth anyway, so she smiled and said, "Alright! Dinner is still a while away. Let's kill some time."
A film crew can have dozens, even hundreds, of people, making it a miniature society. Newcomers are often clueless, not even knowing what each department does. If they accidentally offend someone, they can easily be given a hard time in subtle ways.
The behind-the-scenes staff weren't afraid of offending actors with little clout. After all, the crew wasn't a permanent team. Once filming wrapped, everyone would move on to their next job. It was uncertain if they would ever work together again, making it difficult for an actor to retaliate.
If you maintained a good relationship with them, they would remember to include you in any good opportunities, and if something went wrong, there would be fewer people ready to stab you in the back.
That was why Ni Bingyan had long ago developed the habit of being kind to others. As long as people didn't give her trouble, she would be pleasant in return.
After spending a month or two together day in and day out on a closed set, these people would become her acquaintances by the time the film wrapped. If she ran into them on her next project, they'd be old friends.
Seeing that she wasn't as cold as the rumors claimed, their smiles widened, and they all urged her to hurry up and grab some cards.
"We're playing Fight the Landlord! Losers have to get a slip of paper stuck on their face!"
someone explained the rule with a chuckle.
'A great beauty with her face covered in paper slips would be quite a sight!'
If Ni Bingyan had been wearing makeup, they might not have risked offending her with this game. But since she was bare-faced, it was just a matter of washing her face afterward.
At that, everyone began to cheer and egg her on.
As it turned out, Ni Bingyan had no celebrity airs about her. Not the least bit intimidated, she took the cards and jumped right into playing round after round with them.
By the time all the dishes were served and the producer called everyone to the table, the other three players' faces were covered in paper slips. They puffed their cheeks indignantly, making the papers flutter. "Sister Bingbing, you're ruthless!"
Ni Bingyan simply smiled without saying a word.
'Back in the day, when she was an extra waiting on set, she and the others would often play cards to stay awake. Since nobody had any money, they would play for forfeits like sticking paper on their faces or getting their hands slapped. She wasn't slow to begin with, and with all that practice, she naturally became a skilled player.'
The meal was relaxed, and no other issues came up that night.
Early the next morning, Ni Bingyan went downstairs at the time specified by the production coordinator. The other main actors hadn't arrived yet, but the props and costumes had been delivered overnight.
The crew needed to go on ahead to prepare. Ni Bingyan wasn't in a rush, so after confirming their departure time, she took Peng Huan and drove into the city to do some shopping.
She had never been to this area before. It was only after checking the weather forecast last night that she realized the altitude was high and the temperature fluctuated dramatically between day and night. She needed to buy more clothes.
It rained a lot in the mountains, so she also needed to get rain gear, as well as some cold medicine.
It was high summer, so there were plenty of mosquitoes and bugs. She would only feel safe if she stocked up on repellents.
It would also be a good idea to stock up on things like sanitary pads.
At dinner last night, she had met the production assistant in charge of procurement. He was a brawny guy, and she'd rather hang herself than ask him to buy those items for her.
Her car was spacious, more than enough for her personal items. After shopping, she worried there wouldn't be any gas stations in the mountains, so she went and filled up her tank.
By the time the two of them returned from their shopping trip and had a quick lunch, the other main actors had arrived.
The actress playing the female lead's grandmother was the veteran actress, Qin Fengjun.
She was a thin, wiry woman of sixty-nine. If her hometown hadn't been nearby, and if she hadn't already retired there—plus the fact that the film was intended to help with local poverty alleviation—the old woman would never have agreed to do the movie.
The others were likely exhausted from the long journey. They got out of their cars, said a quick hello, and then got right back in to catch up on sleep.
The poor male lead was probably carsick. His face was ghastly pale, and he looked unsteady on his feet. He took two steps out of the car before his agent dragged him back inside. Ni Bingyan didn't even get a clear look at his face.
'I hope he's not difficult to work with.'
After her silent prayer, she got in her car and followed the group toward Wutong County.
Parts of Lao Gua Village were inaccessible by vehicle. They had to go to Wutong County first, and then they would move the equipment into the mountains early the next morning.
Wutong County had an elegant name that might evoke images of the noble phoenix, but in reality, it was simply named for the abundance of Wutong trees in the area.
Wutong County was located halfway up a mountain, and getting there required driving for many miles along a winding mountain road.
Upon entering the county town, the group was about to head straight for their inn when they saw a group of people at a roadside tea stall stand up and wave at them.
Ni Bingyan was confused about the situation, but it wasn't her place to speak, so she just stood among the crew and watched.
She watched as the producer led the director forward to warmly shake hands with the leader of the group, a thin man in a formal jacket. "Director Luo!" the producer exclaimed, continuing to shake his hand, looking deeply moved. "You are all far too hospitable! To wait for us by the road in this heat... We should have been the ones to pay you a visit after our arrival!"
It was the local government's poverty alleviation department; everyone from the director down to the newest junior staff members had come to greet them.