ATAMMDO 6

Chapter 6 

 

Cheng Qinghua is very upset recently. His new film is about to start shooting, but the progress has to be shelved because the leading actor has not been found yet.

 

Due to the good reputation and box office success of his last film, this film has not yet been filmed, and yet it already received sponsorship from many investors.

 

With the audience luck accumulated from the last film, as long as his new movie’s quality would not be that poor then the box office ratings will not be that low.

 

With this guarantee, investors will naturally flock to it.

 

However, he didn’t take it all. It is not the first time he asks for help, but some employers will just stuff people into movies just to fill it in.

 

Cheng Qinghua felt the most taboo about such a thing. In his opinion, this is irresponsible behavior for movie staff, especially for his own movie, so he refused many people who brought money.

 

However, the progress of the film got stuck in choosing the leading actor.

 

Cheng Qinghua has read a lot of information about actors, but none of them satisfied him. The people recommended by the management are even more unsuitable. There is no way he’d take them. In the end, he can only go to Qin Lu.

 

He wrote the screenplay of the film for nearly two years, during which time he kept deleting and correcting it, especially for the parts of the leading actor.

 

Because when he wrote about the leading actor, he unconsciously envisioned Qin Lu portraying it.

 

It’s just that when his first film became successful, some people said that he owed his success to Qin Lu, and if it wasn’t for him, the film might not have achieved anything.

 

And in order to prove these critics wrong, Cheng Qinghua decided not to ask Qin Lu to play the leading role in his next film. But when he changed a few more parts of his script and already established the backgrounds and the framings, he realized that his script won’t reach the perfection he envisioned if Qin Lu is not the one to be playing on it.

 

Cheng Qinghua is a person who pursues perfection. When he knows it can be perfect, it would be unacceptable to shoot a defective and compromised output.

 

Finally, he went to Qin Lu again. He decided that the critics that would comment that he had been succeeded by Qin Law, will be ignored and killed in his head.

 

To his surprise, Qin Lu turned him down without even thinking about it.

 

At first, he thought that Qin Lu did not like to work with the same director all the time, and he preferred the challenging ones.

 

But he also thought that Qin Lu had worked with the same director two or three times a few years ago.

 

For the sake of his film, Cheng Qinghua went to Qin Lu several times. Under his repeated questioning, his agent told him that Qin Lu planned to withdraw from the circle.

 

Qin Lu has not received a new script for more than a year, and it is not without news on the Internet that he is going to retire, but because he himself has not stated his position, many people think it is a rumor.

 

Cheng Qinghua also thought it was a rumor, but unexpectedly it was true.

 

Qin Lu made his debut at the age of 20 and has won numerous awards in the entertainment industry for ten years. Although he has already stood at a height that many people cannot reach, he is only 30 years old now.

 

For many people in the entertainment industry who are chasing their dreams, this age may be just the beginning.

 

Just when Cheng Qinghua couldn’t figure it out, he suddenly received a call from Qin Lu’s agent, saying that Qin Lu was going to ask him out for dinner.

 

Cheng Qinghua thought Qin Lu had changed his mind. When he arrived at the appointed time, he moved into the infrastructure immediately.

 

When he arrived at his destination, he saw Qin Lu’s agent standing outside, probably waiting for him.

 

Cheng Qinghua immediately came forward to greet him politely. He made sure that he has this easygoing aura as if he is not the hottest young director at the moment.

 

But when he approached, he saw that Qin Lu’s agent was looking at him with a complicated expression. Vaguely, he seemed to see a trace of sympathy.

 

Cheng Qinghua was confused, “Mr. Zhou, is there something on my face?”

 

The agent shook his head. “No.”

 

“Then why are you looking at me like that?” Cheng Qinghua suddenly thought of a bad possibility. “Qin Lu didn’t come to me to talk about the new movie, didn’t he?”

 

The agent had to say that this director Cheng had a keen feeling. He didn’t even say it, so the other party guessed it himself. “Director Cheng will know when he goes in.”

 

It’s not good for the agent to step in and hurriedly reveal his boss’ purpose of calling the director here. If he happened to scare Director Cheng away, he doesn’t think he can afford to take the burden tied along with it.

 

Thus, the agent refuses to say anything. Cheng Qinghua realizes this so he stopped questioning him too. Under the guidance of the waiter, he came to the booth where Qin Lu was located.

 

When the waiter opened the door, Cheng Qinghua walked in and saw Qin Lu already sitting inside.

 

For some reason, as soon as he saw him, Director Cheng had a strange premonition in his heart. 

 

If Qin Lu didn’t call him for the movie, why, apart from the movie, would he summon him? They had no other special intersection other than that.

 

“You’re not going to pull out, are you?” Cheng Qinghua blurted out.

 

Qin Lu:  “mm-hmm”

 

When Cheng Qinghua made his first film and he was a new director, which means he didn’t have any work or experience,  he hit a brick wall everywhere when he was pulling investments.

 

Later, he tried to send his script to Qin Lu, but unexpectedly, Qin Lu not only agreed to play the leading actor, but also invested a lot of money in his film.

 

At first, no one knew about this case, but when the movie became a hit, some people found out that Qin Lu was not only the protagonist but also the biggest investor in the movie project.

 

The film not only made him famous again but also helped him make a lot of money.

 

For Cheng Qinghua, Qin Law is undoubtedly a very qualified actor and capital. Although he has  the largest investment, he never interferes in casting, so when Cheng Qinghua was raising money for his second film, the first thing he thought of was Qin Lu.

 

Qin Lu is also a businessman. He invested in his second film after evaluating that Cheng Qinghua’s script was not that bad.

 

Cheng Qinghua felt that if Qin Lu didn’t come to him to talk about the lead role spot, then it could only be about the money he had invested early on. 

 

Knowing that he had misunderstood, Qin Lu shook his head and said, “I will not withdraw your capital. This time, you are here for something else. Sit down so we could talk.”

 

Cheng Qinghua was relieved. If Qin Lu withdrew his investment, he would have to look for a new investor as well. That would be two roles to fill in now! But besides that point, in case he had found another one, what if the next investor would interfere in the process and demand changes after everything like a typical investor would until some aspects of the film suit their tastes? Then that would be more than troublesome for him.

 

“As long as it’s not about the investment, then everything is fine.” Cheng Qinghua said happily. “Of course, it would be better if you promised to be the leading actor in my new movie.”

 

Qin Lu said, “I won’t take a new script anymore.”

 

Hearing what he said with such certainty, Cheng Qinghua said doubtfully, “Your agent said you want to retire. I don’t quite understand. You are still so young. Why do you have to retire at this time? Is it ecause you have already won all the awards?”

 

Qin Lu has nothing to do with this, but he replied nevertheless: “There are some things that must be done.”

 

Cheng Qinghua “Some things?”

 

Qin Lu took a sip of tea, “Such as inheriting the family business.”

 

Cheng Qinghua felt that he should not have asked such a question.

 

It is true that there are rumors in the circle that Qin Lu is a rich second generation, but it has not been confirmed, and because of this, people speculate that Qin Lu’s family background is not simple. Otherwise, it would have been picked out a long time ago.

 

Now hearing him admit it himself, Cheng Qinghua suddenly has a feeling that he is at the forefront of eating melons.

 

Qin Lu: “Let’s get down to business. I want to confirm one thing with you when I called you here this time. “

 

Cheng Qinghua: “What is it?”

 

Qin Lu: “Are you gay?”

 

Cheng Qinghua: “…..”

 

The agent: “…..”

 

Cheng Qinghua is a little speechless. “What does it have to do with you whether I am gay or not?”

 

Qin Lu: “It has nothing to do with me, but it has something to do with your blind date. “

 

Cheng Qinghua is even more speechless. “What blind date? When do I have a blind date?”

 

Qin Lu “He has been available since today. Do you mind if your blind date is a man?”

 

Cheng Qinghua was confused. “What are you trying to say?”

 

The agent really can’t watch what’s unfolding before him. “Director Cheng, it’s like this Brother Qin is very interested in being a matchmaker recently, so he wants to introduce you to someone.”

 

Cheng Qinghua couldn’t help looking up and down at Qin Lu, “You’ve had enough to eat.”

 

Qin Lu frowned. “I’m serious.”

 

Cheng Qinghua: “I think you are seriously robbed.”

 

The agent said it was hard to disagree, and he also felt that Brother Qin had been robbed.

 

In ten minutes.

 

Cheng Qinghua, who knew the cause and effect, looked at Qin Lu in disbelief. He could not believe that the youngest double-awarded actor in the entertainment industry was going to become a matchmaker.

 

Although it is to repay the kindness of others, but with the ability of Qin Lu, giving a sum of money is much easier than matchmaking.

 

“So after you heard the rumor that I was gay, you wanted to introduce me to your benefactor, your little brother, right?” Cheng Qinghua asked.

 

Qin Lu looked at the agent.

 

The agent immediately ought to look at the sky, but after he could not, he looked at the top of the box.

 

Cheng Qinghua snorted coldly, “How can the rumors in the entertainment industry be taken seriously?”

 

Qin Lu, “So you don’t like men?”

 

Cheng Qinghua “is alright.”

 

The agent: “…..”

 

Does your conscience hurt?

 

Qin Lu’s response is much calmer. “So that blind date.”

 

Cheng Qinghua: “I have a condition. You will retire after my movie.”

 

Qin Lu stared at him with no expression.

 

“This is actually not a bad thing for you, and you have not announced your retirement. I think it will be more perfect to regard my film as your last one.” Cheng Qinghua insisted.

 

Afraid that these words are not convincing enough, Cheng Qinghua said, “You should really like acting, otherwise you wouldn’t have stayed in the industry for ten years.”

 

Throughout Qin Lu’s films after his debut, anyone can see his improvement after every film he took. It is precisely because he focuses on improving his acting skills that it shows that he really loves acting and loves this business.

 

“Also, you have made a lot of investments over the years and have made a lot of money. Inheriting the family business should be the icing on the cake for you. Are you willing to give up the career you love in order to inherit the family business?”

 

Cheng Qinghua did not feel that he was telling a joke at all, but in the ears of Qin Lu’s agent who knew the truth, he felt that if he had a hundred billion groups to inherit to him, he would be willing to give up the career he loved.

 

“I expect that we will need three to four months to shoot this movie. And even after you retire, you still have that time before you fully overtake your family business and whatnot. “ cheng Qinghua said. “Thus, you still have ample time for this project before you fully retire.” He added.

 

“I will consider it.”

When Qin Lu finished, Cheng Qinghua’s eyes suddenly lit up.

 

If he had not wavered, he would certainly not have said he would consider it.

 

Although the time the two met only came from his first film, it was enough for him to understand Qin Lu. If he wanted to refuse a person, he would never say that there was room for discussion, and he would not hesitate to reject it.

 

“Then take your time and be careful. I’m not in a hurry right now.” Cheng Qinghua is in a beautiful mood since he has now something to look forward to.

 

After dinner, the agent sent Cheng Qinghua away, who was in a hurry for this sudden shed of hope for his movie. And he then returned to the booth to see Qin Lu looking at his mobile phone. With his selfishness, of course, he hoped that Qin Lu would not retire.

 

“Brother Qin, I think Director Cheng seems to be right.” As he spoke, the agent approached and inadvertently glanced at the mobile phone screen, blaming him for his good eyesight.

 

He unexpectedly saw brother Qin open Qiandu search and was asking a question.

 

How to be a good matchmaker.

 

The agent: “…..”

 

Are you serious, bro?

 

Qiandu is a reliable search engine, and it gave out results at once.

 

Qin Lu is browsing these words with a serious look on his face.

 

After a while, he said, “I almost forgot one thing. You asked Cheng Qinghua to send a selfie first, preferably a whole-body image. And make him introduce himself. I want to know all his information first. It is said on the Internet that in order to be a good matchmaker, you must first know the information of both sides. “

 

The great Qin Lu is out of order.

 

He took out his cell phone and called Cheng Qinghua to tell him Qin Lu’s request.

 

Cheng Qinghua on the other side of the phone was so happy that his agent could hear him unable to control his laughter.

 

It was as if he was afraid of Qin Lu, turning back on his promise, but in two minutes he called him. Cheng Qinghua sent his personal information directly to Qin’s Wechat and asked him if he had thought about it.

 

Qin Lu did not reply, he forwarded the personal information Cheng Qinghua sent to Jiang Liu Cheng.

 

A few seconds later, Jiang Liu Cheng replied with three question marks.

 

Qin Lu: [I’ve chosen your first blind date already. This is his personal information. Review it and tell me if you think you could try it with him. If so, I will ask him for you two to meet. ]

 

Jiang Liu Cheng was cleaning when he received the message, and his chat with Qin Lu was still stuck in the meeting that they were already friends with when they first added Wechat. This was the first time they chatted.

 

Jiang Liu Cheng stared at the photo he sent over. The man in the picture had a small beard, but he could see that he was not yet old. His eyes were bright, and his face belonged to the beautiful category. He looked much more mature because of his beard, though.

 

Looking at the other party’s self-introduction, he already knows who the man in the photo is, and he has seen the film he directed, in which Qin Lu was starring.

 

Jiang Liu Cheng: [Are you being serious?]

 

Qin Lu: [What’s wrong with him?]

 

Jiang Liu Cheng: [It’s just that I think the status between us is a little different.]

 

Qin Lu: [Do you think I might’ve introduced you to someone bad?]

 

Jiang Liu Cheng stared at this sentence. Jiang Liu Cheng and Qin Lu’s expectations are not quite the same.

 

Jiang Liu Cheng: [He looks promising.]

 

Qin Lu: [You do not need to consider him. Only if you think you like him will we go to the next step.]

 

Jiang Liu Cheng: [I’ll meet him first.]

Qin Lu: [Good]

 

Qin Lu replied to Cheng Qinghua after talking with Jiang Liu Cheng. He asked him to meet with Jiang Liu Cheng first, and if he was sure he could continue to contact him, then he would agree to be the leading man for his film. 

 

Of course, Cheng Qinghua agreed. Meeting someone once or twice won’t be a problem. After all, his movie would still be dragging on.

 

Qin Lu sent the time and place of the meeting to Jiang Liu Cheng.

 

The next morning, Jiang Liu Cheng went out with a backpack to go to his appointment.

 

Guo Qifan came out to wash just in time to see him ready to go out, “Why are you going out so early?”

 

Jiang Liu Cheng “I have a blind date to go to.”

 

Guo Qifan: “Your new matchmaker is fast enough. I’ve only introduced you to that girl a few days ago.”

 

Jiang Liu Cheng also thinks that Qin Lu’s action is very fast. After all, the other party should be a very busy person.

 

“I have to go. See you later.”

 

“Tell me everything that happened after your return.”

 

……….

Author’s Note: 

 

The agent takes the liberty of asking: Are you 1 or 0?

 

Cheng Qinghua: Aren’t you polite? Which part of me says that I am a 1, huh?