Superstar's Development Diary-Chapter 763 - 764: Can’t Afford to Provoke, Can’t Afford to Provoke
Brother Luo had invited her because she was idling at home and he could accompany her, ensuring her safety.
Secondly, He Jinxia felt the need to talk with the male protagonist’s actor to understand his ideas about the character and start building some "rapport," making next month’s filming much smoother, so she agreed to come.
In the private room, by the time He Jinxia arrived, Director Qian and Gong Hongyu had already been enjoying their drinks and conversation cheerfully.
From Director Qian, He Jinxia learned that the male lead, Gong Hongyu, was a former soldier who retired due to an injury. He was older than her, 28 this year, and had turned to acting after leaving the military.
She hadn’t seen a photo of Gong Hongyu, assuming he would look somewhat "weathered."
After all, being 28 wasn’t considered young anymore. In just a couple more years, he would reach the age of steady maturity. Plus, the relentless high-intensity training, sun exposure, and elements endured daily in the military would turn even the tenderest cabbage into a dried-up salted vegetable.
But now, seeing him was a total surprise to He Jinxia.
Gong Hongyu looked a lot younger than she had envisioned, and his skin wasn’t the dark hue of a Black person, but a very healthy shade of bronze.
Perhaps due to his long-term training, he maintained a great figure and a short crew cut, with his natural hair color untouched, making anyone praise him for his lively spirit.
He was wearing a white shirt at that moment, giving off a student vibe rather than that of a soldier; he looked more like a university student.
After scanning his face, He Jinxia finally understood why Gong Hongyu, a fine ex-soldier, would venture into the entertainment circle to become a star — because he was handsome!
It would have been a waste if he hadn’t become a star!
They say men from the military are forthright and not bogged down by minor details, and it was indeed true. Despite Gong Hongyu’s refined appearance, he was uninhibited when drinking with Director Qian, using bowls instead of cups!
The kind of big bowls!
And with every few words spoken, they were ready to down a bowl, which made Brother Luo twitch at the corners of his mouth.
Can’t deal with it, can’t deal with it.
The arrival of the female lead made Director Qian and Gong Hongyu pause their grandiose conversation and greet her.
He Jinxia seamlessly joined in, smiling and saying, "I can’t drink alcohol, so I’ll use tea instead, but my agent can drink. If you want to get someone drunk, target him."
Brother Luo couldn’t help but complain, "Jinxia, is it really okay to throw your agent under the bus like that? Look at Hongyu and Director Qian’s pace, they’re drinking from bowls. I can’t keep up with them; I’d be down after two bowls!"
Hearing this, both Director Qian and Gong Hongyu smiled, and Director Qian even pointed at him, saying, "It’s not a high-proof liquor, just twenty or thirty degrees. Two bowls won’t knock you down. Come on, come sit, Hongyu, pour a bowl for Brother Luo!"
Seeing Gong Hongyu pouring enthusiastically, Brother Luo quickly grabbed the bottle from him halfway through, hurriedly saying, "I’ll pour it myself, I’ll pour it myself!" 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚
Director Qian reminded, "Hey, make sure it’s full!"
Since a big drinking session was inevitable, Brother Luo was no longer hesitant and declared boldly, "It’s full, definitely full. If you don’t believe me, come and see."
At that moment, the server brought the dishes, and amidst eating and drinking, the atmosphere warmed up, and everyone began chatting about all sorts of topics.
Gong Hongyu mostly talked with Director Qian, and sometimes when he didn’t understand something about the entertainment circle, he would turn around and ask He Jinxia.
Seeing his sincere attitude, and that he didn’t seem to be making fun of her, He Jinxia answered his questions one by one, no matter how "idiotic" they were.
Most of the questions Gong Hongyu asked were things everyone in the circle would know after staying for half a year, but since he had just entered the industry without joining any entertainment company, he was unfamiliar with many things.
According to what Gong Hongyu revealed, he was very lucky. After being discharged from the military, his family said he looked handsome and no different from the stars in the entertainment circle, so why not become a star and make a lot of money.
At that time, Gong Hongyu didn’t know what to do, but after hearing what his family said, he went to the film and television base to scout around.
While he didn’t know how to be a star, he had heard in the military about several people who became stars by playing extras, so he followed the "predecessors’" footsteps and scouted around for extra work at the film and television base!
He was lucky. After arriving at the film and television base and not knowing how to be an extra, he casually approached a guy standing on the side of the road smoking and asked him, only to find out that the guy was a foreman specifically managing extras, controlling a group of fellow-towners as extras.
Although Gong Hongyu was not a fellow-towner, he was good-looking, strong, and tall, appearing to be an all-round extra suited for many situations, so the foreman decided on the spot that it was good to follow him.
So, Gong Hongyu mixed with the foreman as an extra for a week.
Even with someone else introducing him to extra roles, he couldn’t play an extra every day. Generally, he would get a job every two days, which could be completed in either a morning or an afternoon.
The production crew provided a meal, and the hourly wage for playing an extra was slightly higher than that of an average office worker, between thirty and fifty per hour.
The last time Gong Hongyu played an extra, he was part of a military unit under the antagonist during the Anti-Japanese War, where he was one of the many soldiers holding a gun.
Because of his upright stature, compared to the weather-beaten extras around him, he looked spirited, so Director Qian happened to pass by, glanced at him randomly, and thought this kid looked good!
So he stopped to watch, and upon looking, he noticed something interesting—this kid held his gun in quite a standard way.
Then, everything followed logically. Director Qian specially approached him during his break and asked him about himself, and Gong Hongyu honestly disclosed his "family background."
Director Qian’s face brightened, and with a wave of his hand, he decided on the actor for the male lead.
This process left He Jinxia and Luo You astonished; even novels wouldn’t dare to write like this.
Everyone said He Jinxia was a lucky fish, but Gong Hongyu was truly the lucky fish in real life, wasn’t he?!
So, Gong Hongyu hadn’t been an extra for a few days, and just relying on a handsome face and good physique, as well as his veteran status, he was picked up by Director Qian at the film and television base.
When He Jinxia heard this, she couldn’t help but give Director Qian a punch, her expression becoming one of respect, "Director Qian really has a good eye!"
Director Qian’s face turned red, and he laughed loudly, "Good luck, good luck!"
As everyone was chatting, they suddenly started to talk about Gong Hongyu’s time in the military. Seeing the good atmosphere, Luo You curiously asked Gong Hongyu what he had done before.
Gong Hongyu grinned and said, "I’ve done everything from SWAT to armed police, and sometimes I worked as a public security officer to maintain order, I went wherever I was needed."
Luo You, "Then how did you get injured?"
