Horror Game: “……”
One shouldn’t have any expectations for a con artist’s thick skin.
Lu Qingjia ignored this childish implication and continued to examine his character’s role.
A professional con artist, but different from the low-level ones on the market.
He had a friendly appearance, dressed impeccably, and was highly deceptive. At first glance, he looked like a young man with a stable job and good financial standing; no one would associate him with being a con artist.
He was warm-hearted, patient, and particularly tolerant of the elderly and children, making him the type that old folks adored.
But in reality, he was someone who approached the elderly, lowered their guard, and then swindled their pensions. One could say he was among the most heartless types of con artists.
Upon reading this, the horror game couldn’t help but cheekily comment: [Doesn’t this business seem familiar to someone?]
Lu Qingjia chuckled, “That can’t be counted like that. In the character’s setting, the elderly don’t realize they’ve been conned for a certain period after handing over their money. Often, this sense of being cared for and having hope can last a long time.”
“And the old lady is like cutting off her own flesh to give me money, suffering from both psychological and material torment from start to finish. That’s what I want to see.”
“I’m not in it for the money; it’s about giving people a sense of happiness—albeit a false and fleeting one. What benefit do I get from that? Watching them cut into their own flesh is far more interesting.”
What kind of villainous rhetoric is this? The horror game increasingly felt that this batch of seed players it had high hopes for had issues.
Thinking back to how this guy initially lay around with that bizarrely thinking Zhong Liyu, it suddenly felt like a bad match made in hell. It was just unclear which of these two turds was more toxic.
The horror game quickly skimmed through Lu Qingjia’s background. This guy had disguised himself thoroughly in a peaceful and stable reality.
If it weren’t for the game’s rapid turn of events and its brutal actions, it would almost believe he was just a well-mannered, elegant, and cunning young master.
Of course, aside from Lu Qingjia, the other actors’ characters were equally intriguing.
A large apartment on the first floor was organized to serve as the meeting place for the crew to discuss and release information.
A few players received their scripts and took the opportunity to gather for a discussion.
This time, there were seven players in total: five men and two women. The five male players were all actors, while the two female players included a set worker and the assistant to the leading lady with a curvy figure.
“I’m a pervert.” A slightly chubby middle-aged player flipped through his script helplessly.
“I’m a gambler.” The player who said this had a shrewd look in his eyes.
“I’m a junkie and a pickpocket.” This player was unusually thin, with a distinctly sharp and monkey-like face.
“I, I’m a sexual deviant and a client.”
“Oh wow~~~” The other players turned to the last person.
The ticketing player quickly waved his hands: “I suspect the game is discriminating against our looks. Who says looking like this is a given?”
An awkward silence filled the air, and the two female players, who didn’t have to participate in the performance, chuckled: “Just looking at appearances, the casting is quite fitting.”
The director, seeing everyone starting to discuss the script, cheerfully approached: “Is the script okay? Although it has its challenges, don’t be discouraged; I believe in you.”
“Today, we’ll set up the equipment. The rooms are already arranged. Later, when you return to your rooms, read it carefully. You must fully understand your characters, and your actions should align with their behavioral logic.”
He added, “Don’t worry. Although our crew isn’t wealthy, we won’t compromise on quality just to rush the work. Each person must portray their character deeply.”
Lu Qingjia shook the thin paper in his hand and asked the director, “The character arrangements are clear, but the script seems to have only a couple of lines?”
The director, looking ambitious, replied, “You wouldn’t understand this, would you? Movies with too much craftsmanship lack spirit. As long as the characters are well portrayed, they will naturally come to life. That’s true art.”
“I know you won’t get it, but first, I’ll give you a task: within three days, completely become the characters in the script.”
Everyone thought this ragtag crew was quite arrogant. Whether they could successfully make a movie was still up for debate, yet they were already thinking about flying before learning to walk.
But Lu Qingjia clapped enthusiastically, his face full of agreement: “I think so too. I believe the soul of a movie lies in its characters; the plot is secondary. When interesting characters are placed in a specific environment, they will naturally create fascinating chemical reactions and exciting conflicts. It seems the director’s thoughts align with mine.”
Director An glanced at this pretty boy, quite taken aback by his looks. Even among popular stars, he stood out. What was most remarkable was his composed demeanor.
He looked nothing like a struggling lower-class person; instead, he resembled a young master out to experience life—
How did this guy get here? And it seemed like he was hinting at something with those words?
Director An felt puzzled, while the other players were not pleased.
They glared at Lu Qingjia, wondering if he was clueless about the task’s content. What was he meddling for? How did increasing the difficulty and time of filming benefit them?
They turned to the director: “So, does this mean we won’t officially start filming for another three days? Why does it take so long? And what does it mean to become the characters in the script within three days? You know what kind of characters these are; are we really supposed to learn about gambling, drugs, and deception?”
“Besides, every day of delay costs money.” A few players felt they were overly concerned about this low-budget film.
Based on experience, if the task was to ensure the film’s success, the obstacles wouldn’t just come from the hidden horrors; real-life issues would also teach them a lesson.
The director waved his hand dismissively: “You don’t need to worry about money; just focus on the script.”
“As for gambling, drugs, and deception, sometimes for the sake of art, there’s no other choice.” He continued without giving anyone a chance to refute: “Starting tomorrow, I’ll guide each of you. This is a unit script composed of five short stories, telling a comedy about various walks of life. If you don’t have that genuine flavor of life, how can it work?”
“Don’t worry; we have patience. If it doesn’t work out in the early stages, we can treat it as behind-the-scenes footage. Once the movie is released and becomes a hit, you’ll know to thank me.”
This whimsical talk left the players speechless.
Yet, there was still a sycophant in the team. Lu Qingjia said, “Hmm, I’m increasingly optimistic about this movie. Director An embodies the qualities a filmmaker should have, unlike the low-quality films churned out on assembly lines today. If there were no filmmakers like Director An in the country, the entire industry would be doomed.”
Everyone looked at Lu Qingjia, their eyes clearly saying, ‘Brother, there’s no need to flatter him this much.’
Then they heard something even more jaw-dropping, as Lu Qingjia continued, “So, does this movie still lack investment?”
“I’d like to participate as both an actor and a producer.”
“How much can you invest?”
“Five million enough? Considering this film doesn’t require a huge investment, but if it’s not enough, feel free to let me know.”
Upon hearing this, Director An’s expression became subtle, a flicker of darkness and hesitation passing through his eyes: “Where did you get so much money?”
He laughed awkwardly: “Young man, you must come from a good family, right? If you had that kind of financial power and connections, you wouldn’t need to come to my little broken crew, would you? This amount isn’t too much or too little, but if managed well, with your looks, landing a decent role shouldn’t be a problem.”
Everyone in the crew gasped. The curvy leading lady eagerly approached, pushing aside the female player who had been next to Lu Qingjia: “Oh, from now on, we all have to benefit from little Lu.”
But despite this good news, Director An’s expression wasn’t pleasant. He was about to say something to refuse.
However, Lu Qingjia didn’t give him the chance, his expression somewhat ambiguous: “I had a boyfriend before who supported my interests and gave me some money to try my luck. Unfortunately, we broke up because I couldn’t find a reliable crew. As for connections and resources, I just happened to encounter your crew.”
“Don’t worry, Director. I won’t give random advice, nor will I disrupt the film’s structure for my own role. You can write this into the contract to ensure you have maximum creative freedom.”
The others looked at Lu Qingjia with strange expressions, and the leading lady’s smile suddenly became stiffer than the hyaluronic acid in her face.
Director An sighed in relief, realizing it was just a coal boss’s breakup fee for a pretty boy. He had specifically instructed the intermediary before selecting the cast, so how could such a mistake occur?
However, Director An still stepped out to make a phone call. After returning, he finally agreed to Lu Qingjia’s proposal.
Lu Qingjia was straightforward, immediately transferring 2 million into the crew’s account, with the remaining balance to be transferred according to the filming progress.
Half an hour later, after signing the contract, Lu Qingjia transformed from a mere actor into a producer.
The other players found it utterly incomprehensible that he was so foolishly generous, especially since he was urging everyone to go out and celebrate.
Considering they would officially start work tomorrow, they didn’t want to go too far and chose a nearby restaurant that looked decent.
After a few rounds of drinks, Lu Qingjia took the opportunity to chat privately with the owner while settling the bill.
The owner was clearly reluctant to discuss many matters, but seeing that Lu Qingjia had ordered several bottles of Maotai and later requested a few expensive cigarettes, he quietly reminded him of several things that only nearby residents knew.
When Lu Qingjia returned to the private room, Director An was already so drunk he was about to slide under the table.
The others helped him out, preparing to return to the apartment—since they had previously been short on funds, that apartment served not only as a filming location but also as temporary accommodation.
Lu Qingjia, holding a cigarette, suddenly said, “Now that we have some money, why don’t we find a hotel to stay in? After all, with ten or so people, we won’t need too many rooms, and it won’t cost much.”
Despite being that drunk, Director An jolted awake, his voice slightly distorted: “No way, we must stay there.”
“Why?” Lu Qingjia smiled: “Are you trying to save money? It doesn’t have to be to this extent. When I dropped off my luggage earlier, I noticed that while the building is barely livable, the old wiring causes the power to trip whenever the lights are on, the water heater is broken, and the tap water is so rusty it looks like blood. It’s really not suitable for living.”
“Money should be spent wisely, but the health of the crew is the capital for work. There’s no need to skimp on that.”
Unexpectedly, Director An became furious upon hearing this: “I’m the director; I make the decisions. You promised before signing the contract. Don’t point fingers at my arrangements. If you continue like this, we’ll terminate our cooperation immediately.”
The others quickly tried to mediate: “Please don’t be angry; this little matter isn’t worth it, right?”
But Director An shook off his previous drunkenness, his gaze firm to the point of madness: “I want to make the most authentic movie. If you can’t endure this hardship, then get lost.”
The situation had become so awkward that if they didn’t want to tear their faces, they could only compromise.
Everyone thought Lu Qingjia would stand his ground, after all, who would spend money and still take the heat? Even a few players thought his purpose in throwing money around was just that.
But to their surprise, he instantly compromised, appearing as if he hadn’t thought it through and shouldn’t have questioned the director’s intentions.
The group awkwardly returned to the apartment building.
As for the room assignments, that was quite interesting. The director and his two staff members, along with the curvy leading lady and her assistant, stayed on the first floor.
The others were each assigned a room, scattered across different floors, and the decor inside was worth scrutinizing.
For instance, Lu Qingjia’s room, from the bedspread to the basin and toothbrush cup, exuded a vibe from the last century, with big red and green peony flowers, a chipped basin with red koi swimming, and porcelain bowls from the Bayi Factory.
Yet, it also had modern appliances, though the aesthetic remained garish, making it look like an old person’s residence.
After Lu Qingjia and a male assistant settled the director down to sleep, he decided to go upstairs to visit the rooms of the players who were actors, to see if the layouts were as he expected.
He found them all gathered in the room of the middle-aged player playing a pervert on the third floor, and they quickly invited him in.
Lu Qingjia scanned the room and hadn’t even spoken when the player portraying the junkie pickpocket grinned: “That son of a gun, Director An, no wonder he insisted on staying here; it turns out there are a few beautiful ladies.”
“Beautiful ladies?”
The pickpocket player replied, “Yeah, we just ran into them upstairs. They’re a few recent graduates working as print models and extras, staying here to save money.”
Everyone nodded: “It is indeed cheap. The rent in places like this, when shared, is lower than a phone bill.”
Lu Qingjia looked at them, seemingly forgetting that this apartment was, according to the script’s hints, a haunted house. It was as if the nearby residents’ reticence during the day and the obvious impossibility of having tenants around were completely overlooked.
Since the players weren’t complete newcomers, they shouldn’t have been so oblivious, so those few ladies became intriguing.
Lu Qingjia asked, “Which floor and room are they in?”
“503!” The pickpocket player instinctively replied, then exclaimed, “Aren’t you with a man?”
But all they saw was the other person disappearing at the edge of the door—
“This guy, he swings both ways.”
“Going for the ladies as soon as he sees them; that’s a bit reckless, isn’t it?”
“Being handsome is a blessing.” The players sighed.
Not long after, Director An’s assistant brought a bag of fruit upstairs, smiling: “You all are here? Saves me from running around room to room.”
“Here’s some fruit; you can share it.”
Everyone’s mouths were dry, so they didn’t hold back. Two male players, not too picky, wiped their sleeves and dug in.
Chewing with their mouths full, one of them asked, “By the way, didn’t we rent the whole apartment for filming? Are there still other tenants?”
The assistant replied, “No, we booked the venue. Before coming, the rooms for the main actors were renovated. Director An is meticulous; he checks all the details himself.”
“Hey, but we just ran into the beauties in 503.”
“What? What 503?” The assistant’s face turned pale: “503 wasn’t assigned to anyone, but it’s a filming location. How could there be anyone there?”
The players’ expressions changed drastically, as if they had just regained their ability to think after having been completely oblivious moments ago.
“Oh no, that pretty boy is in serious trouble.”
