During the middle to later stages of filming, many scenes centered around Arnold's portrayal of Jo, creating grand spectacles. Rather than being a blockbuster movie, it felt more like Arnold's personal battleground. For Xize, who played Ayer and whose character died midway through the film, the large scenes had little to do with him, despite being billed as the leading man.
While Arnold was filming grand scenes on the harsh environment of the film planet, the shooting officially commenced.
Unlike Tom, a director of commercial blockbusters, Lori had always been a web series director. As a female director, she lacked Tom's ability to control the rhythm and grandeur of large-scale productions, but her innate sense of beauty and delicate emotional perception allowed her to stand out among web series directors, producing highly popular web dramas.
There were hardly any grand scenes; indoor scenes outnumbered outdoor ones. Lori's approach to the entire drama could be summed up in two words: "sex" and "desire." From the protagonists to the smallest extras, every character was a stunning beauty. The costumes were lavish and grand, with vibrant color schemes. The protagonists had twenty sets of luxurious outfits in the first three episodes, each detail meticulously perfected. Additionally, all props were personally approved by Lori, with even the slightest flaw deemed unacceptable, and the makeup team consisted of top-tier professionals.
Lori's philosophy was: "Since I can't shoot grand scenes and can only make web dramas, I'll conquer the audience with the most eye-catching visuals. Think about it, an ordinary viewer of a web drama comes home exhausted after a long day at work, seeking enjoyment. Why should I present shoddy costumes and props on screen? If I were a viewer, why would I pay to see ordinary faces or unattractive extras? If the plot is bad, viewers will criticize it, saying, 'What a lousy story! Can't the crew afford a good script and decent actors?' But if the visuals are flawless, at least viewers will say, 'The plot is terrible, but at least everyone is eye candy.'"
Xize had long realized that after millennia of evolution, humanity's appreciation and approval of physical beauty had reached new heights. Actors appearing on screen naturally needed to be as handsome and beautiful as possible. However, in Xize's time, especially in the domestic entertainment industry, there wasn't such a strict demand for looks. Instead, good-looking but talentless actors faced more criticism.
In the future, though, things were different. Criticism still existed, but people seemed more naturally inclined to enjoy the "appearance" of stars.
Lori's working style was reminiscent of Jane Anning, bustling around the set with her head held high, never tolerating laziness under her watch.
Her cast consisted entirely of beautiful men and women, and due to frequent mixed scenes, her crew and Tom's crew were polar opposites, always filled with eye-catching beauties.
From the first day on set, Xize was dazzled by the lavish costumes, props, and indoor sets. The beautiful extras handpicked by Lori ran around, making Xize feel overwhelmed.
Xize felt aesthetically fatigued. Initially, he thought he looked handsome in Tom's crew, and Arnold looked handsome too. Now, seeing the faces of the extras running around, he felt his own face was just average.
They had to shoot the first three episodes in one go, so Xize had been in Lori's crew recently. He had become quite familiar with Amo, often sharing light-hearted jokes. Amo was a typical sunny handsome guy, maintaining a polite distance if he disliked someone but taking the initiative if he liked them. His good looks, friendly smile, and easy-going nature made him a pleasant companion for Xize.
Lori had high standards for actors, the drama, and every filming detail but wasn't strict with the crew. A group of twenty-something attractive young people naturally found ways to have fun together.
Lori's crew was the most unique Xize had ever seen, especially with the outgoing and cheerful Amo around, who always came up with entertaining activities.
They even organized card games in the set's tent. What cards? Mahjong!
When Xize heard that this traditional game was now popular across the galaxy, he was genuinely shocked.
Amo, thinking Xize couldn't play, sat at the table, shuffling the tiles with a grin, "Don't know how? I'll teach you!"
Xize thought, "How could I not know this game? I played it for over a decade in my past life!" He calmly asked Amo about the current rules and found they hadn't changed much, so he confidently took his seat.
A circle of people gathered around. Besides Amo and Xize, there were two women at the table, both popular web series actresses and important supporting roles who had become good friends with Xize.
Seeing Xize ask Amo about the rules, they assumed it was his first time playing and told Amo, "Go easy on Xize, don't bully him."
Amo smiled, stood up, and offered, "Should I let someone else play first? I'll teach Xize a few rounds?" He moved to sit beside Xize.
But Xize stopped him, calmly saying, "No need, I know how."
Xize wasn't bluffing, but others thought he was saving face. They joked, saying he might end up losing his underwear.
Xize confidently drew his tiles, his skilled movements showing he wasn't a novice. He sat steadily, asking, "What's the game, and what's the stake?"
Gambling was out of the question; it would be illegal. So, they bet on other things. Some suggested barking like a dog, others suggested confessing love to Lori.
Amo proposed, "We all have social IDs, right? The loser draws a big turtle on their face and posts a photo online!"
This suggestion caused an uproar. The two actresses immediately backed out, not wanting to risk it, and were quickly replaced by four men.
Amo looked at Xize, raising an eyebrow, "Xize, you sure you don't need me to teach you? If you lose, you really have to draw a turtle, no joke."
Someone noted, "I don't think Xize has his own social ID, right?"
Amo, not treating himself as an outsider, said, "No problem, post it on mine."
Amid the uproar, Xize looked at Amo, smiled, squinting his eyes, "It might not be my photo; it could be yours!"
Xize's calm and bold statement caused another round of laughter.
Amo, hearing this, laughed heartily. He had long since dropped his initial guard around Xize. He had been playing cards for years and considered himself quite skilled. Today, he was ready to draw a turtle on Xize's face and take a photo as a treat for the fans.
Playing cards was a leisure activity, and a game of mahjong took time. Actors naturally rotated, leaving the table for filming or preparation, with others taking their place. The tiles in one's hand determined the loser's fate.
The result... Amo nearly went crazy!
Xize declared, "Won, pure suit."
"Big Four Winds!"
After finishing a scene and changing into a new outfit, he returned to the table—
"Big Three Dragons!"
"Thirteen Orphans!"
"My favorite, pure suit! Won!"
Everyone: "..."
Amo, in despair, realized he had dug his own grave. He was the biggest loser! Trying to escape, he was dragged back by the crowd and forced into his seat.
Xize, holding an eyeliner pencil, planned to go big since Amo had no scenes coming up. He walked over, patted Amo's face, lifted his chin with a mischievous smile, "How does it feel to be outsmarted?"
The surrounding actresses immediately took out their cameras, snapping photos. The scene of one standing and one sitting, with Xize lifting Amo's chin, was too enticing!
Xize didn't hold back, drawing several large turtles on Amo's face with the eyeliner. After finishing, he stood beside Amo, put an arm around his shoulder, and flashed a "V" sign for a photo.
Amo, laughing and crying, wiped off the eyeliner while under the watchful eyes of the crowd, posted the photo online, and instantly received a flood of likes and flowers from fans—
"OMG, Amo has become Xize's loyal dog?! Loyal dogs are so cute!"
"Xize, what have you done to Amo? Well done!!!"
"Amo, how can you be so loyal now? What about the heroine from the last drama? "
"A good actor turned into a turtle face! And posted a photo online, Xize, have you no shame?!... Silly! Next time, draw two more!!... Collect seven and summon the divine turtle!!"
...
After the photo, Xize went to redo his makeup for a scene, while Amo, alone, scrolled through fan comments, smiling foolishly. He didn't feel his image was tarnished; instead, he was quite happy, especially with Xize's serious "V" pose in the photo.
In Lori's crew, besides card games, they could also fish if there was a pond scene. If it was an indoor palace scene, dancing followed after filming...
Lori didn't mind such activities. Her crew had a great filming atmosphere, and everyone became friends, so the documentary team always had plenty of behind-the-scenes promotional photos.
The promotion started early with a steady stream of refined, glamorous on-set photos appearing before fans, many featuring interactions between Xize and Amo.
The purpose of promotion was to pique the audience's interest and attention, building a reputation even before the web drama aired. Lori was always happy to release unrelated promotional photos early, letting fans enjoy them. The more they saw and enjoyed, the more likely they were to support the first episode and pay to watch.
The first three episodes were crucial. If they established a good foundation, the subsequent viewership would naturally increase.
Xize stayed for two weeks, finishing all scenes for the first and second episodes, then hurried back to Tom's crew.
Tom's crew had recently shot several grand scenes. Filming on the film planet had exhausted everyone, making them look like they had spent two weeks in the desert without food or water. Tom himself looked like a bald wild boar.
On the day Xize rejoined the crew, they weren't filming on the film planet but doing a regular outdoor scene with Arnold. Jane Anning, bringing him back, felt Xize's presence had diminished recently, so she posted on her social ID, "Xize is back to filming, today's scene with Arnold! Excited?"
Fans angrily replied—
"Fishing! Drawing turtles! Dancing! Playing cards!... Hmph!"
"Our idol is so tragic, filming for two weeks, while Xize enjoys himself in another crew, laughing with other actors. Disappointing!!"
"How about drawing a turtle on our idol's face? Dare you? Dare you?! Draw seven turtles and summon the dragon!! Our idol is mighty like that!!"
"Oh~ Who is Xize~?"
"Xize, let me tell you, gather seven handsome guys! Form a harem!!"
...
Xize quietly logged out of Jane Anning's account, feeling as if he had returned home after committing a wrongdoing, even though he had merely come back to the set. Was this an illusion? It must be.
Tom had spent the past two weeks filming in an incredibly harsh and desolate area of the film planet, where not even birds would lay eggs. The entire crew, including the actors, returned utterly exhausted.
Tom had transformed from a plump, fair-skinned man into a weather-beaten, haggard figure, and the rest of the crew fared no better. Xize knew that shooting a blockbuster was tough, but he hadn't anticipated the conditions to be this grueling. He almost failed to recognize several familiar faces upon his return.
Tom, seeing Xize walk into the studio looking refreshed, gave a weary smile, his once-white teeth now yellowed.
Xize couldn't help but ask, "Director, are you alright?"
Tom looked Xize up and down, "Tsk tsk, Lori's crew always has good food. I was worried you'd gain weight and even called Jane Anning about it. Seems like you're doing fine."
Xize thought to himself that he had intentionally avoided overeating; otherwise, he would have gained weight for sure.
Today's scene was an additional one, not originally in the script. Xize was suddenly notified to reshoot this scene, so he arrived on set without knowing what to film. When he asked Tom, the director simply said, "You'll find out soon," and sent him to makeup.
Tom's crew worked under tough conditions; no star had a private makeup room. Everyone shared the same one, so when Xize entered, he ran into Arnold.
Arnold was half-reclining in a chair, idly browsing the web on a portable screen. He barely glanced up when Xize walked in.
Xize was genuinely happy to see Arnold. After all the handsome men and beautiful women in Lori's crew, Arnold still fit his aesthetic best.
He raised a hand in greeting, and Arnold responded with a mere "Hmm," saying nothing more.
Though they hadn't seen each other in two weeks, they weren't exactly close, but Arnold had personally taught Xize how to use a hover device and had saved him once. Most would hesitate to approach Arnold after such a break, fearing his aloof attitude.
But Xize remembered Arnold's help and considered him a friend. Friends who hadn't seen each other in two weeks should naturally greet each other.
The makeup room was otherwise empty, apart from Sam and Arnold. Arnold's presence seemed to automatically create a quiet atmosphere.
Sam looked up at Xize, teasing, "You seem to be living quite comfortably lately! How's the web series filming going?"
Xize smiled, "Compared to you guys, it's been pretty smooth and progressing quickly."
Sam waved his screen, "Look at your promotional photos. I almost thought it was a spring outing for a group of handsome men and beautiful women." He flipped through the screen, "Fishing, dancing, playing cards? Did you draw that turtle?"
Arnold, who had been quietly watching his blue screen, suddenly looked up at Xize, interjecting, "You play cards?"
Xize was momentarily stunned, "Oh, yes."
Arnold then sat up, took the portable screen from Sam, and tossed it to Xize, "We have time. Let's play a game."
Xize opened the screen, blinking in confusion at the god-like figure, "You want... to play cards with me?"
Sam leaned in, whispering mysteriously, "I'll let you in on a secret, Arnold's card skills are top-notch. You won't beat him."
Xize thought, "That's not necessarily true," but wait, why were they playing cards? Even the god-like Arnold played cards? This didn't fit his image at all!
But if Arnold wanted to play, Xize had no choice but to join. Playing a game wouldn't hurt, and the makeup artist hadn't arrived yet.
They played online two-player Mahjong on the screen, opening a private room with no spectators.
Arnold's expression remained unchanged, as calm as ever, only uttering one sentence before the game began.
When Xize asked, "What's the stake?"—a question that slipped out without thinking, a habit from playing with Amo and the others—Arnold looked at him and said, "Face painting."
Again?!
As the system dealt the tiles, Xize pondered whether to win or lose. Losing meant a turtle on his face; winning meant a turtle on Arnold's face. A turtle on his face would be embarrassing, but drawing on Arnold's face might be risking his life.
To be or not to be, that was the question.
But as the game began, Xize suddenly realized something. Winning or losing wasn't even a question! Arnold wasn't at Amo's level; his speed in playing tiles was faster than Xize's!
Three minutes later...
Xize silently handed an eyeliner pencil to Arnold, then obediently tilted his chin, muttering, "One turtle will do, right?" Have some mercy, god-like figure?
Arnold stood over Xize, casually holding his chin with one finger, his face relaxed, "Alright, one it is."
Later that day, a photo appeared on Jane Anning's social feed. In it, Xize looked slightly aggrieved, a simple turtle drawn on his forehead, making a pitiful "V" sign at the camera. Arnold sat beside him, casually looking at the camera.
!!!!!
God-like figure, how could you be so...!!! This was a public declaration of war!! No, it was indifference! No matter what Xize did in other crews, he'd still be obedient and cute back with my god-like figure!!
Fans found the scene too entertaining—
"HAHAHAHA, Xize, only five turtles? Regret it now? Didn't summon the dragon but summoned the god-like figure! HAHAHAHA!"
"My god-like figure is practically a dragon; a flick of his tail and Xize is obedient!"
"Xize, do you remember Arnold by Daming Lake?!"
"God-like figure! So confident!!"