Chapter 31: The Photographer, Ma Bangde!

"What? Over ten million? They're really going that big?"

"To be precise, it's around 12 to 15 million."

"Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"Bai Xiaohang, what kind of tone is that? We're currently in a partnership."

"Brother, listen to me. Ma Xun and Sun Donghai are nothing but scammers! Especially that Ma Xun!"

"Wait, what is wrong with you? Can you not get over what happened before? That’s not very manly."

"Brother! I'm serious! You don't know their true colors. Especially that guy Ma Xun, he is..."

"Bai Xiaohang, you're going too far! There is absolutely no problem with the business with Ma Xun. I've been to that set myself; they are a legitimate CCTV television production center, and the advertisers are very satisfied. You keep calling them scammers—what do you mean by that? Do you have any idea how hard it is to get advertising slots on CCTV right now? Do you know how highly sought-after this is?"

"I, I..."

Before, it was just business involving a few million, so he had let it slide. But this time, Bai Xiaohang heard that Ma Xun and Sun Donghai had cooked up another deal worth over ten million.

Damn it! The risk was way too high! He wanted to warn his older brother. Those two were not good news, especially Ma Xun. Bai Xiaohang knew it deep down. The fight he had with Ma Xun earlier—it was true he hadn't told the full truth back then. But Ma Xun hadn't been honest either! They hadn't colluded on anything, yet they had coordinated perfectly. How could he not be a scammer?

He had to warn him. But to his surprise, Bai Daqing wouldn't listen at all.

"If you won't listen, then forget it!"

"What do you mean I won't listen? You're the one who isn't making sense."

"Hmph! I'm leaving!"

"You... take care of yourself."

"I've never been afraid of anyone!"

Bai Xiaohang's stubborn temper was truly incurable. He left in a huff, not realizing that his brother hadn't actually dismissed his concerns entirely. He just wanted to wrap up that project as soon as possible to avoid any long-term complications.

...

The drama *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* had finished filming, and Sister Hong’s production was underway. Ma Xun had originally planned to remain behind the scenes, but to his surprise, Sister Hong invited him to join the crew. Was she... feeling restless? Well, if she wanted him there, he’d go.

The opening ceremony for *Hear Me* was held at the Asian Games swimming pool. Renting a few time slots there was enough. When Ma Xun arrived, Sister Hong greeted him with, "Welcome, my cameraman."

"Huh?" Ma Xun finally understood what was going on. "Sister Hong, you really are..."

"Haha... didn't you say, 'save where you can'? I remembered that, and your photography skills are excellent."

That compliment carried a lot of weight. He had, after all, taken many photos of this "Number One Beauty." It also signaled a change. Externally, Sister Hong remained very dignified—a traditional Eastern beauty. But internally... she had a hint of allure. Since a lady of her standing was now showing that side, Ma Xun had nothing to complain about.

"Fine, I'll be the cameraman. But I have a lot to do, so let's try to be diligent and aim for 'one take' on everything."

The remark drew giggles from Sister Hong. It sounded like encouragement, but in reality, it was just him being stingy! One take meant saving on film. Never underestimate the cost of film; a single roll cost 1,500 yuan and only lasted about four minutes.

A typical film production would require around a hundred thousand yuan in film costs. If he could do it in one take, Ma Xun, as the boss, would naturally be thrilled! But that wasn't the main point.

"I'm the cameraman and the screenwriter, but I still want to remain anonymous. What should I do?"

Sister Hong smiled, covering her mouth. "That's easy. Just use a pseudonym."

"This..." Ma Xun had been thinking the same thing, so he tentatively suggested, "Sister Hong, what do you think of 'Ma Bangde'?"

Ma Bangde? Was he planning to take office in Goose Town? Sister Hong didn't get the reference; she thought of a different "Bond."

"Bond? 007? Not bad! That's a great pseudonym."

True enough, that was a Bond too. Even though she didn't get his true meaning, Ma Xun was pleased.

"But I'm not exactly a secret agent."

"But you're just as much of a playboy as Bond," Sister Hong said, catching the essence of it, then added in a whisper, "You won't let those two girls off the hook, will you?"

"What are you talking about? Am I that kind of person?" Regardless, Ma Xun couldn't admit it.

Sister Hong didn't really care; in fact, she was in a particularly good mood. "Whether you are or not is no concern of mine. As long as you make the movie well, that's all that matters."

Ma Xun felt curious. "Sister Hong, you’re in such high spirits. Any good news?"

"No."

"I doubt that."

"If there is anything, it’s... have you been following the movie market lately?"

Ma Xun smiled. "I get it. A certain film failed at the box office."

Director Chen's masterpiece, *Temptress Moon*! If that film had succeeded, it would have meant Sister Hong made the wrong choice. Its failure meant, at the very least, that her current strategic choice was correct. Even if it was a bit of schadenfreude, it was natural for Sister Hong to be happy.

With her joy shared, Ma Xun brought up his own point. "The situation has changed."

"What's wrong?"

"Someone is applying pressure. *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* will likely be released ahead of schedule."

"Does that have anything to do with me?"

"Sister Hong, do I need to remind you? The three leads in our *Hear Me* are all in that drama."

"I see. So... you mean we should try to release early too?"

"You still want to compete with Xu Qing, don't you?"

"This... hmph! Anyway, you're the one funding this film!"

"Right, that's our Sister Hong." Hearing this praise, Sister Hong felt wonderful.

Because of Ma Xun's appearance, the funding for *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* was resolved early, and filming was moved up. Ma Xun had also received news from Sun Donghai that Bai Daqing wanted the drama out as soon as possible so the advertisers could see their commercials. With CCTV's current influence, as long as the quality wasn't abysmal, the ratings would be guaranteed. Ma Xun wasn't worried about the drama's success, even with the early release.

However, if that show was going out early, *Hear Me* had to follow suit. The original plan was to leverage the massive attention the three leads would receive after *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* aired. Strike while the iron is hot; the gap shouldn't exceed a month.

Calculating it, *Seventeen-Year-Olds Don't Cry* had just finished filming. It was almost certain to air by October. Therefore, *Hear Me* should be released in late October or November. But that would clash with the release of *The Emperor's Shadow* in late October. Of course, Ma Xun didn't mention that *The New Shanghai Bund* would also be hitting screens around that time.

A three-way collision?! Whether it would be a car crash of a release schedule was one thing, but the key was whether Sister Hong had the heart for it. From a production standpoint, they had plenty of time. *Hear Me* was a simple film; the shooting schedule was at most two weeks. Post-production, including editing and scoring, would certainly be done within a month. Since there wasn't a rigid cinema chain system, releasing a movie was actually quite simple.

Like *A Chinese Odyssey*, films were released city by city. That was the standard practice: conquer the big cities first. Even if three movies were released simultaneously, they could choose different cities, perfectly avoiding each other. So, it all depended on Sister Hong.

Sister Hong laughed. "So that's it. Your earlier 'one take' talk was just to save time. Well, I have nothing more to say."

Indeed, the 'one take' request had been a little groundwork laid by Ma Xun. Now...

"Then let's start filming."

"Good!"

After a simple ceremony, *Hear Me* officially commenced. Cameraman Ma Bangde took his post!

"Just call him Teacher Ma," Sister Hong introduced him to the crew. Gao Yuanyuan and Hao Lei, the two sisters, couldn't help but giggle. Of course, they still had to be professional.

"Get ready..." Ma Xun stood behind the camera, entering his work mode.

"Action!"

Future great director Sister Hong shouted her first "Action" as a director. By the way, her surname was also Chen. Who was to say she couldn't become a "Director Chen" herself? In the frame, Gao Yuanyuan in her racing swimsuit looked tall, graceful, and heroic. It really had a great feel to it.

With a splash, the swimming competition began!

...

After a day of filming, Ma Xun felt pretty good. Though he was just the cameraman, he had rediscovered a bit of the feeling he’d had as a director years ago. Of course, he understood that this was just a hobby; he still had to play the role of the big-time capital player. That was his main business.

When he returned to his courtyard house, he found someone waiting.

"Boss."

"Oh, what are you doing here?"

It was Hao Lei, wearing a one-piece swimsuit. This swimsuit... it had to be said, her figure was truly excellent. One look told you the water resistance would be significant! Ma Xun was about to say something, but Hao Lei cut him off.

"Between Gao Yuanyuan and me, who is better looking?"

Ma Xun said bluntly, "In your current state, she can't compare to you."

It was the truth. But Hao Lei caught the implication. If she weren't in this state, would she have lost?

"It seems I don't have any swimsuit scenes in the movie." If she was going to compete, she was going to compete!

Ma Xun somewhat understood her intent. "If you want them, I can arrange them, but it's not really necessary."

Hao Lei said, slightly shyly, "No need to arrange anything. I just want to ask you, am I youthful enough?"

"Youthful and beautiful." Ma Xun was still being perfectly honest.

Then, Hao Lei made a request: "Then help me preserve it."

Youth? Ma Xun didn't quite grasp the meaning, but Hao Lei pulled out an object. A Nikon F3. Ma Xun had bought it after he came into money. He hadn't expected her to find it. He understood her meaning perfectly.

"You've thought this through?" He took the camera.

"They say youth is fleeting. Help me keep it."

Hao Lei had made up her mind a long time ago. The shutter clicked repeatedly, soon accompanied by strange, ragged breathing...