novellhall Chapter 29 This was a good deal
Chapter 29 This was a good deal
He opened the door with his key, and the sight before him made his eyes twitch.
There was a faint black smoke rising from the direction of the kitchen; it wasn't thick, but it was very pungent.
Several hours have passed, and the black smoke in the kitchen has not yet dissipated.
No wonder the landlord came looking for them!
If this weren't a poor neighborhood in Koreatown, the fire department would have come by now!
Lee So-yeon was frantically waving a wet towel, trying to disperse the smoke, her face still covered in specks of black ash.
"Oppa! You're back!"
When Lee So-yeon saw him, it was as if she had seen a savior:
"I just wanted to try cooking without an oven, and the oil in the pan caught fire by itself!"
Chen Xun walked over and looked at the carbonized object in the pot, its original shape no longer recognizable. He then looked at the oil and sauce splattered all over the stove.
"You called this something?"
Chen Xun pointed to the still-smoking pot: "This looks like it was stepped on by Godzilla!"
Lee So-yeon pouted and looked at him pitifully.
Chen Xun shook his head helplessly and rolled up his sleeves: "Move aside and clean up the battlefield."
He first turned off the stove, opened all the windows to ventilate the room, and then put the culprit pot into the sink.
Li Suyan was watching from the side when she suddenly noticed a faint red mark on the back of Chen Xun's hand, as if he had been scratched.
"Oppa, what happened to your hand?"
Chen Xun looked down and saw that it was from when the thief accidentally scratched him with his fingernail while he was subduing him.
"It's nothing. I just ran into a stupid rat on the bus and took care of it."
Lee So-yeon nodded as if she understood, but without giving it much thought, her attention returned to the appalling kitchen:
"So, what are we having for dinner?"
Chen Xun looked at the messy kitchen and then at Li Suyan's innocent face, feeling utterly exhausted.
"Let's order takeout!"
He made the most rational decision: "Chinese food! Until I thoroughly disinfect this kitchen, you are not allowed to come within three meters of the stove!"
The takeout boxes of Chinese food were piled on the coffee table, the remnants of Kung Pao Chicken and Mapo Tofu still warm.
Chen Xun and Li Suyan slumped on the sofa, enjoying the rare moment of relaxation after a full meal.
"Oppa~"
Lee So-yeon poked at the last piece of chicken with her chopsticks, then suddenly remembered something:
"A senior at our school is filming his graduation project. I've read the script; it's quite interesting—it's an independent crime drama."
Chen Xun hummed in response, not paying much attention.
Student work often means no pay, rough equipment, and boundless enthusiasm.
"They're stuck now!"
Lee So-yeon continued:
"We're missing an Asian male character. He doesn't have many scenes, but he's quite crucial. He's a skilled street informant, only two or three scenes, and filming will take about two or three days. They have a limited budget, so they might just give him enough for transportation and meals..."
"I think you're a good fit. Why don't you go and take a look? You're free these days anyway!"
Chen Xun originally wanted to refuse.
Having just finished filming a regular movie set, it feels a bit beneath me to go and film a student project.
But then I thought, since I'm free anyway, I might as well go back to my alma mater and see what the students are playing now. Maybe I can pick up some attribute balls?
Although student film crews are amateurs, their pure creative passion may very well result in some unique attributes.
"Okay!" He nodded. "When?"
"Tomorrow! They're rehearsing their blocking in the film academy building tomorrow afternoon!"
Lee So-yeon immediately perked up: "I'll take you! I'll talk to my senior!"
The next afternoon.
Chen Xun followed Li Suyan and stepped into the USC campus again.
The familiar red brick building, and students are still sunbathing and discussing scripts on the lawn.
Chen Xun looked at all this and felt a little emotional.
A year ago, he was also one of them, harboring unrealistic dreams, listening to the professor explain Hitchcock's montage.
His identity has now changed from student to actor, although he is still a low-level actor.
The rehearsal took place in a small rehearsal room.
The director, a white senior student named Mark with a thick beard and a fanatical gaze, warmly shook hands with Chen Xun upon seeing him.
"Li told me! You're a full-fledged actor in the union! That's fantastic! Our little place can't believe we managed to hire someone with experience!"
"I heard you still have film crew work to do!"
Chen Xun was a little embarrassed by the enthusiasm: "I'm just a minor supporting character!"
The script is very simple.
Chen Xun's character, "A-Jie," is an Asian informant who works in the city center and provides the protagonist with crucial clues.
In one scene, he was cornered in an alley by the villain and needed to quickly take down two extras before escaping.
When Mark explained the plot and movement, he was full of idealistic ideas, but when it came to actually doing the actions, he was completely lost.
"Then, Ah-Jie, you... um... really cool, take them down! Yes! Quickly! Stylishly!"
Chen Xun sighed inwardly as he watched Mark make abstract gestures in the air.
He volunteered, "Mark, I just finished filming action scenes recently, so I have some experience. Maybe this fight scene could be done like this..."
Based on the narrow alleyway fighting environment set in the script, and combining his absorbed spatial awareness and combat reflexes, he designed several simple and effective maneuvers:
Use wall bounces, quick elbow strikes and low kicks; the goal is to get out of the fight quickly rather than grappling.
He spoke while gesturing, his movements clean and efficient, with the ruthlessness and efficiency of street fighting, completely different from the "kung fu dance" Mark had imagined.
Mark and the other students in the film crew were stunned!
Wow!
Mark's eyes lit up: "Cool! That's so cool! That's it! This is way better than I thought! Chen, do it your way!"
[Aura-related attribute - Persuasiveness +1]
A gray attribute ball fell from Chen Xun's body and was immediately absorbed!
In the following rehearsals, Chen Xun became part-time action director.
He taught the two students playing minor roles how to coordinate their reactions and how to fall to the ground in a way that looked realistic and didn't hurt.
He precisely controlled the force and angle of his movements to ensure safety.
During repeated focused rehearsals and demonstrations, scattered gray attribute orbs fell from him and the students who were focused on learning:
[Physical Attributes - Tutorial +1]
[Rhythm-related attributes - Coordination +1]
Although they are all +1, there is a wide variety of types.
After rehearsal, Mark excitedly shook Chen Xun's hand:
"Chen! You're amazing! Not only an actor, but also a motion choreographer!"
Walking back to her apartment, Lee So-yeon was very excited:
"See that?! Oppa, you're so professional now! Even the seniors are impressed!"
Chen Xun smiled but didn't say anything.
This time, returning to school definitely feels different.
I came here to learn before, now I'm here to share.
Looking at the students' eyes, filled with both longing for the industry and a touch of confusion, he felt as if he were seeing his former self.
"Oh, right!"
Lee So-yeon also said:
"My senior said that although there is no money, once the post-production is finished, when it is submitted to the film festival, your name and work experience will definitely be clearly marked, which can be considered as exposure."
Chen Xun nodded.
Whether it gets exposed or not, he's not counting on it for now.
But this experience confirmed two things for him:
His practical skills have indeed improved, and he can apply them to actual creative work.
Even student production crews working for free can gain valuable attributes if they put their heart into it.
This was a great deal!