CSGM - Chapter 110
Chapter 110: Drone Friend
When Zhuang Yuge woke up at seven in the morning, she saw a message from Chu Xi in her WeChat.
A hazy cloud of question marks formed in her still-sleepy mind.
... ... ...
?????
Finished reading? Finished reading what?
Was Chu Xi saying she had finished reading all three books she sent yesterday?
Chu Xi had even commented with a single word: Simple.
It wasn't until after Zhuang Yuge had washed up and was fully awake that she finally processed it.
Chu Xi's learning speed seemed... far more efficient than she had imagined.
Was this what Chu Xi meant by "reading fast"?
That was way too fast!
But Zhuang Yuge still didn't know what the results of Chu Xi's all-night reading session were.
Not until they met in the dressing room on set, and Chu Xi borrowed her toolbox to "play around."
She watched as Chu Xi dismantled the drone and then reassembled it, her movements so practiced that it was hard to believe it was her first time.
But it was Chu Xi's first time, and she even asked:
"This should be fine, right? I changed the wiring to a single dual-wire PWM signal line and one thick power line. I also moved the motor and ESC to below the arm. I think this will make it more stable in flight and allow it to perform some hovering maneuvers."
For the first time, Zhuang Yuge was seeing genius personified, and she almost felt ashamed of her own abilities in comparison.
Zhuang Yuge stared at Chu Xi for a long time, the disbelief in her eyes slowly turning to surprise, and then to a look of complete admiration and awe!
"Did you... learn all this in just one night?"
The astonishment in her tone made Chu Xi raise an eyebrow.
"How long is it supposed to take?"
Two days? Three days?
If she hadn't pulled an all-nighter, studying for two or three hours a day would probably have been enough.
Getting started with drones really isn't that hard, Chu Xi thought.
But even if the barrier to entry wasn't high, Chu Xi was the first person Zhuang Yuge had ever seen go from beginner to assembly to proficient operation-and see results-in a single night!
Among all the classmates she knew at the Aviation University, none had learned that quickly.
Zhuang Yuge said, "It should take at least... half a month."
Chu Xi replied, "Oh, is that so? Well, you'll get used to it."
She just learned things she was interested in very quickly.
Starting today, she could officially discuss drone technology with Zhuang Yuge.
For example, building a custom load-bearing drone that could transport small items. A photography drone that could be used to take landscape shots when the crew was filming on location. And drones for entertainment purposes...
Chu Xi said, "As long as you don't use technology for despicable purposes, anything is fine."
Zhuang Yuge wholeheartedly agreed. Today, she even generously gifted Chu Xi a full set of drone assembly parts and let her pick out a frame of her choice.
That box of high-quality parts would probably cost over a hundred thousand to buy.
Accepting the delivery from Zhuang Yuge's driver, Chu Xi said cheerfully, "Well, thanks."
Zhuang Yuge shook her head. "No, I should be the one thanking you. You're the one who helped me find the problem with the propeller blade yesterday."
The two of them were able to chat so leisurely in the dressing room thanks to the fact that another actor needed for today's reshoots had yet to arrive.
The Director was already pacing back and forth outside, his brow deeply furrowed.
He wasn't as composed as Chu Xi. With so many crew members and so much equipment standing by, they were burning through money every minute!
Finally, the person the entire crew had been waiting for made their grand, late entrance!
A tall, slender, fair-skinned young actor emerged from a gray van that had screeched to a halt. He was panting as he ran, and upon reaching the set, he immediately put his hands together, bowed, and apologized to everyone.
"I'm so sorry! I'm sorry for making you all wait. I left late today and got unexpectedly stuck in traffic at the entrance to the scenic area."
The one small comfort for the Director was that the actor's personal makeup artist had already done his makeup in the car, saving them a little bit of time.
"Alright, that's enough. A Kun, hurry and get changed."
The late actor, addressed as "A Kun," didn't dare delay any further and hurried into the first-class dressing room.
Although his character was only fourth-billed in the drama, the production team had still assigned him a dressing room with the likes of Zhuang Yuge and Zhou Yu.
This was because he was already incredibly popular-an idol who had debuted as the landslide winner of a singing and dancing competition show. His popularity in the music industry was top-tier, and though he was a newcomer, his online traffic was formidable.
Thus, on the strength of his explosive popularity, even though A Kun wasn't a professionally trained actor and was just crossing over to play a fourth-billed supporting role, the production team still gave him a first-class dressing room.
A Kun's full name was Yan Kun.
Chu Xi watched him enter, seeing him for the first time.
Name: Yan Kun.
IQ: 100.
The perfect score on an elementary school test. A nice, round number.
Yan Kun also saw her for the first time-the new actress who had supposedly been parachuted in to replace the previous A-lister.
Yan Kun gave her a slight nod, which served as a greeting, but said nothing.
He was deliberately aloof, maintaining his cool and handsome persona. It looked a little forced.
Compared to Zhuang Yuge and Zhou Yu, Yan Kun's fame was on a completely different level. Chu Xi had actually heard of him before joining the cast.
Yan Kun was the kind of idol who was famous in other people's online usernames.
While occasionally browsing the news, Chu Xi had seen commenters with usernames like "A Kun of Yan-men Requests a Layup," "A Kun, Stop Playing Basketball," and "Basketball Coach - Kun."
She did a quick search and found out it was because when Yan Kun debuted on Idol Creation Camp, he had introduced his hobbies in his personal VCR as singing, dancing, acting, solving Magic Cubes, and basketball.
That in itself was nothing.
What truly made Yan Kun a timeless classic was the clip of him, wearing a prim white shirt, effeminately demonstrating his flashy dribbling skills for the camera.
His effeminate rhythm, followed by the final combo of hugging the basketball while tilting his head, beckoning with a finger, and winking at the camera, had left both basketball fans and non-fans alike speechless.
In this drama, Yan Kun played the role of a Holy Successor from a foreign, heretical sect.
The character was a gentle, scholarly pretty-boy type who always carried a folding fan-his words like honey, his heart like a sword. When Yan Kun put on the costume, he actually didn't look out of place.
Yan Kun also had an on-set acting coach who would guide his performance before the cameras started rolling.
This made acting opposite him less painful for the other cast members, and his performance was barely passable.
After they finished one set of reshoots, A Kun proved to be quite savvy.
His two on-set assistants and his driver bought over a hundred cups of milk tea for the crew as an apology for his tardiness.
For the celebrities who couldn't drink milk tea, they provided matsutake and radish soup from a shop near the scenic area's entrance.
As everyone contentedly enjoyed A Kun's treat, he sat alone on a folding stool, put on his sunglasses, and quietly tried to look cool.
Chu Xi let out a snort, but before she could finish laughing, Ren Zhi's voice suddenly came from behind her.
"Why are you drinking milk tea?"
Her tone was thirty percent accusatory, thirty percent reproachful, and forty percent anxious, making Chu Xi subconsciously pull her mouth away from the straw as if she'd been caught committing a crime.
Then, with a tilt of her head, she came to her senses-
"Why can't I drink milk tea? Wasn't it one of two choices?"
Ren Zhi shot her a cold glare.
Chu Xi glanced left and right before muttering:
"My brain is low on sugar. It needs nourishment."
She chuckled, changing the subject. "Why did the production hire such an amateur actor?"
As she spoke, she glanced over at where Yan Kun was sitting.
At that moment, Yan Kun was holding his phone at a 45-degree angle, his face turned to the side as he took a selfie of his sharp, superior jawline.
His hand gently caressed his jaw, as if he were stroking a priceless work of art.
Twenty-five years old and that vain. So this is what it means to be an idol?
Ren Zhi shot her a warning look. "He has his strengths."
"Narcissism?" Chu Xi asked, biting her disposable straw and tilting her head.
"You're not much different," Ren Zhi said bluntly.
Chu Xi wasn't fazed in the slightest. She just laughed.
"Hehe, but I have the skills to back it up."
Just as the entire crew was taking a break and enjoying their warm drinks, a large group of people suddenly came running down the road from the scenic area up ahead.
Seven or eight panicked security guards were chasing after them, holding a roll of caution tape that fluttered in the wind. It was obvious they had failed to contain the crowd.
Thank goodness they weren't filming!
The Director was so startled he leaped up from his stool. The field coordinator and production assistants immediately rushed to the front of the set, forming a human barrier without a second thought.
Their movements were so practiced and coordinated that it was clear this wasn't the first or second time the crew had dealt with something like this!
All the actors who were still outside knew the drill. They immediately raised their arms to cover their faces and hurried back to the dressing rooms, shielded by crew members and their own assistants.
Chu Xi wanted to watch the commotion, but Ren Zhi grabbed her and pulled her away-
"Let's go! Don't let them get a picture of your makeup."
Specific makeup, costumes, and plot points were things the production team guarded carefully before a drama's release. For example, several actors were wearing mourning clothes today, so it was even more critical that they weren't photographed.
Otherwise, people could follow the clues and risk guessing the plot ahead of time.
The impact on work efficiency was secondary; this was the real reason the production refused paparazzi and fan visits.
Listening to the passionate shouts behind her, Chu Xi was still in the mood to joke.
"Those aren't paparazzi. They seem more like an enthusiastic, self-organized crowd."
Because amidst the cacophony of screams, she heard someone complain, "Hey, you in the back, you're stepping on my foot, shit!"
Ren Zhi didn't have the energy to deal with her.
A group of them ran and hid in the nearest dressing room while the crew and security guards joined forces, using a combination of verbal explanations and physical gestures to disperse the overly enthusiastic crowd.
Through the thin door of the dressing room, the seven actors catching their breath inside could still hear the throat-shredding shouts from outside-
"Ren Zhi!! Ren Zhi, I love you!!!"
"Zhuang Yuge? Was that Zhuang Yuge just now?"
"Basketball Bro! Teach me how to play basketball, please?! I really want to get good! Can you livestream a tutorial? Thanks, Basketball Bro!"
The last voice, clearly belonging to a burly man, was as loud as a great bell, drowning out all the background noise so that every word came through with perfect clarity.
It was a shame he wasn't endorsing throat lozenges.
Chu Xi thought, her eyes sweeping over Yan Kun's face.
Hmm... it seemed Yan Kun wasn't a fan of the basketball meme. His expression was noticeably stiffer and more awkward than when he had been striking a pose earlier.
Inside the dressing room, a few of the minor supporting actors who had heard the male fan's "passionate confession" were struggling to keep from smiling.
Sorry... it's just that Yan Kun's meme is too popular and too funny. We're not doing it on purpose! We're definitely not trying to laugh at him!
They just thought... Why are netizens these days so hilarious?
Hilarious in a way that showed no mercy.
Someone quietly turned to face the wall, pressing a trembling fist against it-they were clearly struggling to hold in their laughter.
They were just minor actors; they didn't dare say it out loud, but when they scrolled through their social media feeds at home, they laughed their heads off at A Kun's memes too!
Another person covered her mouth, but the entire upper half of her face screamed that she was dying to laugh.
Seeing Yan Kun shooting them furtive glances, his face a mask of dead-eyed humiliation, Chu Xi inwardly "tsked."
There was a saying that really hit the mark: one person's joy is another's sorrow, and they are not connected.
Still, she didn't think the meme was all that funny.
It wasn't nearly as funny as watching Yan Kun admire himself earlier.
It seemed Ren Zhi thought the same.
Ren Zhi maintained a calm expression, but she worried Chu Xi would disregard Yan Kun's feelings-Chu Xi was definitely capable of something like that.
So, she silently mouthed a reminder to Chu Xi: Don't laugh.
Chu Xi understood and nodded.
After the commotion outside was resolved and everyone slowly filed out, Yan Kun, who was walking at the back, paused as he passed Ren Zhi.
He stopped, his expression still a little sour, and said in a low voice, "Thank you, Sister Zhi."
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