Super Zoo

Suming was speechless, thinking to himself that he knew this was a good candidate, too, but where would all that money come from?

Speaking of Wu Yifan, Suming did think of someone: Nangong Huang.

In terms of looks, Suming dared to say, aside from lacking a bit of celebrity charisma, Nangong Huang was no worse than Wu Yifan.

But Nangong Huang had a touch more roguish charm than Wu Yifan, which suited the role better.

The celebrities one usually sees are all 'processed' by makeup artists and stylists, plus factors such as lighting and photography make them shine.

If you put Jay Chou to work carrying bricks on a construction site for a week, he would look no different than Pang Mailang.

Since Nangong Huang had a good physical foundation, why not let him try? Even if he wasn't as good as Wu Yifan, he was still a better choice than the original Xiangjiang actor, and without any fame, at least Nangong Huang wouldn't ask for two million in compensation.

In the end, the decision was still handed over to Director Guo Zijian. After just a few days of interaction, Suming had tremendous trust in Guo Zijian's professional standards and dedication.

Guo Zijian was somewhat surprised, he looked up at Suming, didn't answer right away, but instead was quickly sketching something on the draft paper with a pen.

Suming took a glance and saw that Guo Zijian indeed had some technique, he had only met Nangong Huang three or four times, yet in such a short period, he had drawn a sketch of Nangong Huang from memory. There were slight differences in the details of the eyes and eyebrows, but it was very lifelike, and anyone familiar with Nangong Huang would recognize him at a glance.

After finishing the sketch, Guo Zijian tilted his head slightly, staring at Nangong Huang in the drawing.

Suming hurriedly explained, "Mr. Guo, this person is my relative, but I absolutely didn't recommend him because of this relationship. We're making a movie to make money, I just suddenly thought that his temperament matched the male lead's, so I mentioned it. Feel free to judge from a professional perspective, I trust your judgment."

Guo Zijian still didn't speak, he shifted his gaze from the drawing paper, held the paper in his hands, and gestured back and forth in front of him. Realizing that Suming was still waiting for him to speak, he gave a self-deprecating smile, "Sorry, I was a bit lost in thought. Su Sheng, you misunderstood, that's not what I meant. I was seeing if he matches."

"That's simple, I'll call him over," Suming said while dialing Nangong Huang's number.

"Hello brother-in-law, what's up? I'm at Whisperwind Pavilion waiting to eat, ten minutes to go."

"Skip your meal; get to the hotel within fifteen minutes, I've got a good opportunity for you," Suming said.

"Ah? Can't I eat first, brother-in-law?" Nangong Huang replied, sounding frustrated.

"Up to you, but if you're not here in fifteen minutes, you'll bear the consequences," Suming chuckled and hung up the phone.

While waiting for Nangong Huang, Suming expressed some concerns, "This relative of mine, he's never studied acting."

"That's not a problem, the main characters in this movie are animals, and the so-called male and female leads only serve to thread the story together, they don't require intricate acting skills. Ordinary acting can be quickly coached; many roles in Xiangjiang films are played by first-time actors," said Guo Zijian.

Before fifteen minutes had passed, there was a knock on the door, and Nangong Huang rushed in breathless, still holding a large food box.

"What's up, brother-in-law...huff huff...Hong Feifei packed some dumplings, I didn't have time to eat, thought you might not have eaten either, so I brought them...pork and cabbage filling..." Nangong Huang put the food box on the table, still gasping for breath. Find your next read at My Virtual Library Empire

Just as Suming was about to speak, Mr. Guo suddenly stood up and gave Nangong Huang a not-too-light, not-too-heavy slap on the head, causing Nangong Huang to stumble.

"Fucking hell, what are you doing!" Nangong Huang's eyes widened in an instant, glaring defiantly at Mr. Guo. If he hadn't known this was the director Suming had invited for the film, he would almost have thrown a punch.

"OK, it's you!" After saying that, Guo Zijian pressed his hands together in an apologetic gesture towards Nangong Huang with a smile, "Sorry, it's for the job. If you're pissed, you can hit me back, that's only fair."

At this, Nangong Huang was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth wide, looked at Guo Zijian, then turned to Suming and asked incredulously, "Brother-in-law, is this guy out of his mind?"

"Can he do it?" Suming asked.

Guo Zijian gave Suming a thumbs-up, "Absolutely! Su Sheng, you have a keen eye, almost more accurate than a talent scout. Perhaps you've discovered a future star."

"Hey, what the hell are you guys talking about? Brother-in-law, didn't you say you had good news for me? I came running over here with good intentions to bring you all dumplings, and out of nowhere, I get slapped, and you're laughing?" Nangong Huang was even more confused.

Suming nonchalantly opened the lunch box and pinched a dumpling with two fingers, swallowing it down.

"Delicious, truly delicious. A chef is a chef, even his dumplings are out of the ordinary. Mr. Guo, you should try one too, I guarantee you've never tasted dumplings like these in Xiangjiang."

Suming pushed the lunch box toward Guo Zijian, took a piece of paper, and wiped his hands clean that had touched the dumplings before standing up and patting Nangong Huang on the shoulder, "Congratulations, my leading man."

"What leading man, leading lady... Huh?!" Nangong Huang hadn't caught on at first, but before he could finish his sentence, he understood what Suming meant.

He sharply inhaled a breath of cold air, his mouth opening wide in an 'O', staring at Suming in disbelief and articulated word by word, "Brother-in-law... are you saying... let me... be the, leading man!"

"Looks like my Chinese teacher can finally rest in peace." Suming and Guo Zijian exchanged a smile and nodded at Nangong Huang together.

Nangong Huang leapt up all at once, letting out a loud shout, suddenly hugged Suming and planted a kiss on his cheek, "Brother-in-law, I love you so much!"

"Oh, come on!" Suming almost couldn't resist punching him, quickly grabbing a tissue to furiously wipe his face.

"Haha..." Guo Zijian instinctively took two steps back, maintaining a safe distance from the ecstatic Nangong Huang, while quickly picking up another dumpling and stuffing it into his mouth.

Nangong Huang spun around twice on the spot, swinging his fists forcefully, slightly venting the excitement in his chest.

"Hahaha, I'm going to be a star! Hey, why are you two standing so far away from me? Don't worry, I won't kiss you again. I'm about to become a big star; I don't want any scandals. Rumors like the leading man getting ahead by being taken advantage of by investors and directors are bad for my future career!"

Suming: "..."

Guo Zijian: "..."

After deciding on the leading man, the other roles were relatively easy to fill. The so-called 'leading lady' didn't have many scenes in the entire play and was mainly there to support, so Suming didn't want to get involved in any shady dealings. He left that decision to Guo Zijian.

Suming was also preparing to keep a position for an assistant director and a relatively important extra.

Jiao Shou had always been talking about making a movie. It wouldn't be fair to make one without including him. After all, there are hardly any secrets in this circle. Jiao Shou had been on good terms with him in the past and had helped him out a bit. It would reflect poorly on him if he became successful and forgot his old friends, damaging future networking opportunities. Although relationships in this circle are mostly based on interests, people are rational and emotional beings; most dislike friends who are indifferent.

Just as he was about to call Jiao Shou, Suming suddenly received a call from an unknown number.

An urgent female voice came through, with a sobbing tone, "Is this Suming... I am Shen Ying, Nangong's colleague. Hurry over, Nangong has been attacked..."

Suddenly, Suming exploded.