Chapter 16: Refusal
Back when Baoqiang Wang finished filming "Blind Shaft" and won the Golden Horse Award, he returned to Beijing to continue playing background roles...
He was mocked by many extras...
They said that even with a Golden Horse Award, he still had to play background roles!
A very normal thing.
Many people try to boost their self-worth through verbal bullying.
Shen Yan’s situation was no different!
Look at him: originally just an extra who also played the violin, then caught the attention of an actor named Zhang, and later noticed by Ma Yili, seemingly on the path to fame...
Many extras were quite jealous of him...
But now they learned... he wasn’t actually favored...
Still just an extra, like them.
So... naturally, they had to mock him thoroughly!
That night, Shen Yan was in his room typing away. "Flower Tower: Fleeting Joy" had been completed and sent to the martial arts publisher...
The entire "Lotus Tower" series had only "Yangzhou Slow" left...
"Old Friends Return" plus "Fleeting Joy" totaled 480,000 words, and "Yangzhou Slow" was under 70,000 words!
According to the editor, from April to August, everything would be devoted to "Lotus Tower"...
Oh, and he was also "writing" "Supreme of a Lifetime." The editor told him that "Supreme of a Lifetime" already had 60,000 words in stock and would be launched in two weeks... Based on current numbers, the initial subscription should easily hit 4,000 on release...
Shen Yan had already completed 60,000 words for "Supreme of a Lifetime"!
He aimed for a ten-chapter update on the first day...
At this point, many top authors on Qidian updated over 10,000 words daily. Tang San Shao guaranteed at least 9,000 words a day; "Mad God" and "Qin Emperor" updated over 10,000 words daily...
Even Xuehong started at 12,000, and I, Tomato, was currently writing "Coiling Dragon," updating about 8,000 words a day...
By the way, back when I was on the Phantom Sword Alliance, web novels were updated weekly, and updating twice a week was considered diligent.
Because the income mainly came from traditional Chinese publications, specifically publishers in Taiwan...
They published one volume per month, about 60,000 words, so roughly 2,000 words per day.
Hence, early web novels often displayed notices like "Update suspended due to publisher request for slower updates..."
Then there was a writer named Xuehong, who not only updated daily but also churned out over 10,000 words per day, breaking the usual web novel update rules!
Shen Yan’s current typing speed could reach over 3,000 words per hour, writing more than six hours a day.
No need to find an internet cafe for uploads—he used the wireless network in the writers' lounge at the studio!
While he was writing, someone knocked on the door—three people came in, chatting about Ma Yili with Zhang Wuchou.
Shen Yan wore headphones and kept typing, not joining the conversation at all...
Upon hearing that Shen Yan had only met Ma Yili once, a bespectacled man immediately exclaimed loudly, “I told you, Ma Yili wouldn’t take a fancy to an extra!”
Someone nearby agreed, “Yeah, when Old Zhang mentioned it, I thought it was fishy. Xiao Shen is like us, no connections, no network—why would she pick him?”
Zhang Wuchou said, “Xiao Shen looks good and can play the violin!”
“No use. Trust me, without connections, even if you were a goddess, it wouldn’t matter. Hey, Xiao Shen, we...” Looking at Shen Yan, they stepped forward to take off his headphones, intending to lecture him, but Shen Yan’s gaze forced them back...
He hated people like this!
Shen Yan stood up and issued an eviction order: “...You guys should leave. I still have work to do...”
The man stepped back two paces, pulling the bespectacled man with him: “Let’s go...”
The man with glasses was annoyed and approached Shen Yan: “...What’s wrong? We’re just giving you some advice as seniors. You should listen. Don’t aim too high, young man...”
Shen Yan suppressed his anger: “Your bad breath is bothering me. Please leave!”
“How can you talk like that? No manners at all!”
Zhang Wuchou pulled out cigarettes and handed them out, trying to lighten the mood: “...Xiao Shen needs to work, let’s go chat outside!”
“I’m only giving you face, brother... I’m telling you...”
Shen Yan sneered coldly: “Feel free to try not giving me face!”
“...I’m telling you...”
“Let’s not stoop to childish arguments...” Zhang Wuchou said as he pulled the men out of the room...
“I’m just old now. Two years ago...”
Faint harsh words could be heard, but Shen Yan just closed the door...
Shen Yan had a fiery temper, and in the crew, strength often spoke louder than words!
As Uncle Er said, “If you can fight, don’t waste time nagging.”
Uncle Er was much tougher than him. He once told him that during a shoot, the crew’s producer was crazy. Besides the director’s own camera team, they also hired a Taiwanese camera crew...
The Taiwanese crew thought highly of themselves and often openly clashed with the director. After the director gave instructions, the cameraman pretended to agree but immediately changed the shot when the director left. The director’s walkie-talkie commands were ignored, and the cameramen secretly laughed...
Then a fight broke out!
They beat those Taiwanese guys into the hospital.
The crew paid tens of thousands in compensation.
Then the director was fired, and Uncle Er’s camera team was also dismissed...
Uncle Er’s words: “The crew is all men. Fighting is normal.”
Shen Yan took this to heart!
Besides, he carried the legacy of the Fu Xi clan...
Fu Xi? The dragon’s progeny...
Very tough, mind you!
After the men left, Shen Yan put his headphones back on, fully immersed in writing when his phone rang... It was Uncle Er!
“Hello, Uncle Er!”
“Yes, I can play the violin. I was hired by Zhang because he needed someone to play the violin for Nie Er...”
“You’ve known how to play for a while now. Once you learn the violin, you never forget~”
Then Uncle Er asked, “...Are you good at music?”
“...Music? What do you mean?”
“Do you want to join 'Happy Boys'? I know some leaders at Tianyu Entertainment...”
Shen Yan shook his head: “...No thanks, I’m not interested... I want to be freer...”
“...Then you should sign with an agency. You can’t keep freelancing forever, right?”
“But I have you!”
“...I’m just an artist with limited resources. If you want to stay in this industry, it’s best to sign with a reliable agency!”
Shen Yan paused, then quietly asked, “...Did someone tell you something?”
Uncle Er didn’t hide it: “Your Uncle Cui told me Ma Yili admires you?”
“She did suggest I sign with an agency,” Shen Yan admitted, “but I feel it was just a sudden thought... and I don’t think I’m worth the effort... I’m not a graduate of a professional school, and I have no connections...”
Uncle Er advised, “...If you sign with an agency, even though someone manages you, you’ll get roles and a decent income... We’re not expecting you to be rich or famous, just to support yourself is good enough!”
“...Yeah...”
“Think it over carefully... Oh, and after you finish filming 'National Anthem,' remember to come home for a while...”
“I know...”