Chapter 30: The Key Partners Are in Place

“Not having equipment isn’t a problem—we can rent some!” Luo Yu quickly grabbed Bian Feng’s arm. “I know the owner of a digital store nearby. He has a full set of film gear—cameras, audio recorders, everything! You name it!”

Right now, he was more anxious than anyone about the crew falling through, so he was extremely enthusiastic: “Bro, shall we go check it out now?”

“That’s great!” Wang Xiaopang grabbed Bian Feng’s other arm tightly. “Bro, let’s go. This is the Imperial Capital Film Academy—there’s no way their equipment is bad!”

Wang Xiaopang wasn’t lying. The Imperial Capital Film Academy was the hub for the Chinese cinematic elite; many famous directors’ first works were shot here with rented equipment. The digital stores nearby were professional-grade, and the gear wasn’t likely to be subpar.

“Bian, let’s go take a look,” Shen Baizhou said sincerely. “If the rented equipment doesn’t meet your standards, I won’t pressure you.”

“Bian, come on, help us out—think of it as giving Director Gu some face,” Zhang Xiaomei added, clasping her hands and flashing big pleading eyes.

“Alright, I’ll just take a look,” Bian Feng said reluctantly. “It’s not that I’m picky—it’s just that I can’t compromise on the equipment.”

“Let’s go!” Luo Yu couldn’t wait any longer.

At Leiyin Photography Equipment Store, the plump owner rapidly punched numbers on his calculator:

“German-made Sk700 camera, tripod, stabilizer, gimbal, follow focus, monitor, microphone, flash, lens hood. Plus extra microphones, boom mic, small slider, tracking device, lens hood, shutter release, reflector…”

“For three days, with Luo Yu being a regular, I’ll give you a 30% discount, round off the change, and throw in a free clapperboard. That comes to… 50,000!”

“Not bad, Boss Qu!” Luo Yu nodded proudly. Any professional would know that renting such a complete set of high-end equipment for three days at this price was reasonable.

Shen Baizhou knew it wasn’t expensive either. Seeing Bian Feng’s satisfied expression, he pulled Wang Xiaopang and Zhang Xiaomei aside and quietly asked, “I have 10,000 on me. How much can you two contribute?”

“I’ve got 5,000,” Wang Xiaopang said awkwardly. “You know me, Zhou—earn by day, spend by night, never save a penny.”

“I have 25,000,” Zhang Xiaomei said. She was practical. “If I just finished giving red envelopes, I can scrape together another 5,000.”

“Together that’s 40,000,” Shen Baizhou frowned. “Still short 10,000.”

“What’s going on?” Cheng Xiangyu’s delicate face popped up beside Shen Baizhou. “Are you short on money?”

“Yes,” Shen Baizhou admitted sheepishly. The crew was practically broke; even pooling their funds couldn’t reach 50,000.

“I’ve got 20,000 more. Take it.” Cheng Xiangyu transferred the money to Shen Baizhou right from her phone.

“Where did you get so much?” Shen Baizhou was shocked—Cheng Xiangyu was just a college junior.

“So much money…” she rolled her eyes. “Zhou, you’ve worked a year and call 20,000 ‘so much’? And you ask where it came from?” She shrugged. “Because you never give me pocket money, I had to choose to be supported by a kindly uncle. Happy now?”

“Stop joking. How did you really get it?” Shen Baizhou asked urgently.

“I earned it as a part-time dance instructor, obviously!” she groaned. “Life’s rough, Zhou. I once hoped you’d earn big and support me, but now you treat 20,000 as a fortune, so I guess I’ll have to work hard myself to support you!”

Shen Baizhou blushed. He couldn’t blame his sister—he had indeed failed, unable to scrape together even 50,000, which was unheard of for a director.

“I’ll pay you back soon,” he promised. In a couple of days, once Su Hongdou’s money arrived, he could reimburse her.

“No need,” Cheng Xiangyu said. “Go ahead and spend it on the film. I don’t mind throwing it away for you—I’m your sister!”

Shen Baizhou felt warmed, yet slightly dejected. His sister clearly had no expectations for the film; her support was purely familial.

Wang Xiaopang and Zhang Xiaomei also transferred their contributions. Shen Baizhou collected the funds and solemnly said, “I know this sounds ridiculous, but let’s count this as our initial investment distribution: me: Xiaopang: Xiaomei: Xiangyu = 2:1:5:4. Once the film earns revenue, I’ll share profits according to this ratio.”

“Alright, alright,” Cheng Xiangyu patted Shen Baizhou’s cheek. “As long as you’re happy, I’m happy too.”

Zhang Xiaomei didn’t mind either—she had accepted the money might be gone without return. Wang Xiaopang, having contributed the least, was the most excited. If profits came in, maybe he could finally buy that collectible figure he’d been eyeing for a year.

Shen Baizhou led the team back to Boss Qu. “Boss Qu, could you give us a further discount?”

“50,000 isn’t expensive for the full set! Look at the specs—you’re a filmmaker; you know how pricey a German Sk700 is,” Qu said with a wry smile. “If Luo Yu hadn’t vouched for you, I wouldn’t have rented this to you…”

Shen Baizhou felt embarrassed. Only in the film hub around the Imperial Capital Film Academy could they get such gear at this cheap rate, with no deposit required.

“I won’t haggle further. But could I ask you a favor—act in a role for us? It’s just one scene this afternoon…” Shen Baizhou asked.

“I heard you graduated from the Imperial Capital Film Academy—you’re kind of like a mentor to us…”

Earlier, he had noticed that Boss Qu resembled the audio engineer boss he envisioned. Now, with Luo Yu standing next to him, the match seemed perfect.

“Act? You’re cunning, kid. You want discounted gear and a free actor? Fine!” Boss Qu waved his hand generously. “Tell me about the role!”

Having once been an actor himself, Qu was excited and nostalgic at the chance to perform.

Zhang Xiaomei handed him the script and carefully explained the scene.

Meanwhile, Shen Baizhou asked Luo Yu, “Are there any cafés nearby you know well? Preferably one where we can minimize the rental cost…”

Since Boss Qu was willing to act for free, Shen Baizhou decided to shoot the scene of the audio engineer and his boss in a café first.

“No problem!” Luo Yu pounded his chest. “Cousin, let’s go to ‘Just Happened to Meet You’ café. The owner’s great. Minimum spend is 100 per person, and you can shoot freely—one day of NGs and he won’t kick you out.”

“Perfect, let’s go.” Shen Baizhou realized Luo Yu was extremely useful and continued, “Go get a few classmates to help. I still need some props staff. I have no money left, but I’ll treat everyone to coffee…”

“Fifteen minutes,” Luo Yu gestured. “Cousin, give me 15 minutes.”

“Awesome.” Shen Baizhou gave a thumbs-up. He wasn’t just finding a lead actor—he was assembling a whole team.

He then pulled his sister aside: “Xiangyu, I remember you know some film makeup?”

“Not just some,” Cheng Xiangyu corrected immediately. “I’m an expert!”

“Good,” Shen Baizhou nodded. “It’s time to show your true skills!”