FS-novel Chapter 538: Before “Superspace Confrontation” Begins Filming
Chapter 538: Before “Superspace Confrontation” Begins Filming
August 10th was an overcast day.However, this did not affect the jubilant atmosphere of the production team in the slightest.
The filming site for *Super Spacetime Confrontation* was set in Jiashi, neighboring Shanghai, at an outlying base located on the border between the two cities.
This base was currently far from comparable to other, already well-established film and television bases. Its overall size wasn't particularly large. It was a new district planned only in recent years, intended to be a key location for future filming projects. *Super Spacetime Confrontation* was one of the earliest crews to come here for filming. Apart from the massive green screen they built themselves, many of the set pieces within the base also bore the touch of the *Super Spacetime Confrontation* crew.
So basically, upon entering the base, the busy people inside were all insiders from the *Super Spacetime Confrontation* crew, along with some staff members originally attached to the base itself.
Xiao He had arrived here a day early, so his arrival was the most leisurely. Basically, by the time everyone else had trickled in, he was just greeting people at the entrance.
"Hey, a regular customer."
Xiao He slapped the person at the entrance on the shoulder.
Startled by the sudden pat, Huang Mang instinctively wanted to grab his bag and run, but then remembered he was here by invitation this time. He immediately relaxed his tense nerves and turned to look at the person behind him.
Seeing it was Xiao He, his eyes first lit up, then he clasped his hands together pleadingly and said meekly, "Brother Xiao, I'm here by invitation this time, being honest and proper. I haven't taken a single photo."
Huang Mang, a professional paparazzo within the industry circle, was on speaking terms with all the major studios, considered one of the more successful ones.
Yet, the few times he had stumbled, he had stumbled right into Xiao He's hands, losing a million-follower account, a loss that still pained him to this day.
Now, seeing Xiao He, Huang Mang was more well-behaved than if he were seeing his own elder.
Although Xiao He still didn't like these paparazzi, he also knew that water too clear breeds no fish. To maintain exposure and traffic, his company also had covert collaborations with such people. Therefore, he didn't harbor much hostility towards Huang Mang, merely asking, "Making a fortune somewhere recently?"
"Hehe, trade secret, confidential, Bro."
Huang Mang grinned foolishly, his main tactic being playing dumb.
Xiao He narrowed his eyes. "Keeping secrets from me too? That means it's someone I know, doesn't it?"
Huang Mang immediately felt immense pressure, covering his camera and running off. "Oh dear, oh dear, it's almost time. I need to enter from the front. Brother Xiao, let's chat later, chat later—"
Then Xiao He watched as the man scurried away in a flash.
Lao Qi from behind stepped forward a few paces and asked in a low voice, "Should we go catch him and bring him back?"
Judging by Huang Mang's guilty look, it was clear this kid was up to no good.
Xiao He thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Judging by his getup, he probably just came from another city. It doesn't have much to do with us. Let's focus on preparing for the opening ceremony later."
If he wanted to find out, he had plenty of ways.
"Brother Xiao, Brother Xiao, you're finally here!"
At that moment, a production assistant from the crew jogged over.
"Young Master Huang just drove a fleet of vehicles in and almost completely blocked the road in front of our base. Director He wants you to come over."
Xiao He raised an eyebrow. "Young Master Huang drove a fleet here directly?"
Almost without thinking, Xiao He knew what those vehicles must be carrying. "Lead the way, take me to see him."
A few minutes later, Xiao He saw Young Master Huang in the open space at the center of the base.
This open area was prepared for the opening ceremony later. Besides the crew's staff, a group of media personnel would also enter for filming, so the originally reserved space was relatively spacious. But now, six or seven trucks were parked in the open area, completely jamming the scene.
Young Master Huang was still directing on the side. "Yes, yes, this one, unload it immediately! Place two right in front of the stage!"
Xiao He facepalmed, absolutely unable to allow Young Master Huang to decorate the one-time-use opening ceremony stage into something flashy but impractical. He immediately stepped forward to stop Huang Junhao's actions. "Young Master Huang, hold on a moment—"
"Ah, Xiao He, you're here!"
Seeing his "kindred spirit" arrive, Huang Junhao was very happy and immediately explained his arrangements to Xiao He. "I had all the mecha models originally designed by our company hauled over! The ones I'm most, most, most satisfied with are this one and this one—we'll place these two mechas on either side, then it'll be more convenient for media promotion when they take photos..."
Ever since Linghui Entertainment formally discussed the "mecha figurine merchandise collaboration" for *Super Spacetime Confrontation* with Huang Junhao, he had been so excited he couldn't sleep for several nights. The thought that his half-dead factory might be revived, just like his current Huangshi Media, made Huang Junhao wish the factory could work 24/7 non-stop, producing all the props and models needed for *Super Spacetime Confrontation*.
So, as soon as he heard *Super Spacetime Confrontation* was starting filming today, he directly called up a fleet of vehicles and had all the finished models and props delivered overnight.
To be fair, the efficiency of their factory was much higher than so-called pure handmade custom workshops, and the quality was surprisingly good.
If not for the thought that making figurines and trendy toys in post-production might be even more profitable, Xiao He would have advised Young Master Huang to just start taking prop orders from major production crews in the future. Some crews' prop demands were truly high; for a factory, it could be three years without a major order, but one big order could sustain it for three years.
However, facing Young Master Huang's current enthusiasm, Xiao He had to pour a bucket of cold water on him. "Young Master Huang, there isn't enough time now. And you should also know, this opening ceremony stage is basically dismantled right after use. Your models won't be displayed for long before they have to be taken down again. It's a waste of time."
Although Young Master Huang brought his own people to handle the moving, this was, after all, the filming site of the *Super Spacetime Confrontation* crew. Young Master Huang's own trucks were already taking up a lot of space. Today was just the first day of filming, and they would be busy shooting in the afternoon. Staff members were hurrying about everywhere. If Young Master Huang started dismantling things here, it would really disrupt the work rhythm of the crew.
In other words, this place was chaotic enough already; Young Master Huang, please don't add to the mess.
Hearing Xiao He's words, Young Master Huang looked somewhat disappointed and also a bit flustered. "Sorry, did my sudden arrival with people disrupt your rhythm? I'll have them drive away right now."
Xiao He was the only one still willing to work with him (on business), and Huang Junhao was genuinely a bit afraid of making Xiao He angry.
"It's fine, it's fine. I just think there's a better spot for them."
Xiao He explained seriously. "This is a new base that opened this year. A lot of the decoration isn't fully finished yet, but the main theme they're going for is probably a sense of technology, cyberpunk, and multifunctional modern backgrounds. I think instead of placing the models inside our filming area, you'd be better off moving them near the main entrance of the base, as a small scenic spot for photo opportunities."