Across the corridor from the kitchen is the warehouse. Brother Qian asked him to put some of the cheaper and easier-to-store props in the warehouse. Director Zhong carried the more important props to the second floor himself, and used a bedroom as a storage room for important items.
"Put it here." After Director Zhong left, Luo Huai heard someone say.
Luo Huai looked in the direction of the voice and saw a middle-aged man dressed a bit like the style of the Republic of China era. He had very fair skin, was slightly plump, and looked a bit chubby.
"You are..." Luo Huai held the box and looked at the man in the cold warehouse.
"I'm Butler Lin. More props may be delivered in the future. Don't pile things by the door, as they will block the way. We need to plan accordingly." Butler Lin said.
Luo Huai had not read the script. He only heard Qian Duoqun briefly mention the story on the way. He knew that there were indeed some characters from the Republic of China period in the script. In addition, Steward Lin was wearing a costume, so he naturally thought that this was the senior actor who played Steward Lin.
This senior is really dedicated to his work. He put on his costume and got into character before the shooting started. Looking at his movements and expressions, he looks like a housekeeper of a wealthy family in the old society. Really amazing!
Luo Huai felt respectful. Adhering to the principle of newcomers "talk less and do more", he moved the boxes from the car to the warehouse with a lot of noise.
"Are you an actor in this play?" After placing the last box at the designated location of Steward Lin, Luo Huai wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve and asked curiously.
"It's not certain yet," Steward Lin said worriedly, "I haven't auditioned yet. There are many competitors. I don't know if the master will choose me."
Sir? Luo Huai tilted his head and thought for a moment, thinking that Steward Lin might be talking about Director Zhong.
In his opinion, Lin Guanjia was able to integrate the role into life, so his acting skills must be very good. He didn't expect such an excellent senior to audition. Director Zhong's requirements are very strict.
Even Steward Lin needed to audition, but he was directly selected. Thinking of this, Luo Huai was even more grateful to Brother Qian. If it weren't for Brother Qian, he might not have gotten this opportunity.
He was a little embarrassed to tell the other party that he had already been selected as the actor.
The atmosphere in the warehouse suddenly became very awkward. Luo Huai wanted to leave but didn't know what excuse to make. At this time, he heard a low cry.
"Is someone crying?" Luo Huai looked at Butler Lin.
Before, he was too guilty to dare to look at Steward Lin, but now he was frightened when he looked up. Steward Lin stood in front of him without him knowing, with his hand raised above his head, his face was pale, and he looked like a dead person.
Luo Huai took two steps back in fright, wondering why Steward Lin walked without making any sound, and why he was so close to him
"Were you discovered?" Steward Lin smiled strangely, "I wanted to scare you."
"So it was just a joke," Luo Huai patted his chest, "I was scared to death. What role are you auditioning for, Steward Lin?"
"It's a ghost." said Butler Lin.
"No wonder you walk without making any sound, you must be preparing for the audition. Your acting is so good, Director Zhong will definitely choose you!" Luo Huai said sincerely.
"Is that so?" When Steward Lin heard Luo Huai mention Zhong Jiudao, he stopped approaching Luo Huai.
The woman's crying became louder and louder, and more and more miserable. Luo Huai was very distressed and couldn't help asking: "Butler Lin... It's awkward to call you butler, I'd better call you Brother Lin. Brother Lin, who is crying?"
"It's the third and fifth concubines. It's not convenient for me to interfere in their affairs." said Butler Lin.
A woman's soft and weak voice could be heard from the crying: "Sister, with your acting skills, the master will not choose you. You'd better be a power supply. The leading role must be mine. I have never offended the master before."
This was followed by a woman's shrill scream, as if two people were fighting.
When Luo Huai heard that it was about competition for roles, he felt that it was not appropriate for him to intervene, so he stopped asking.
While listening carefully to the crying, Steward Lin stood behind Luo Huai, stretched out his hand towards his neck several times, then restrainedly retracted it, as if he was struggling violently.
After struggling for several times, Steward Lin could no longer suppress the impulse deep in his soul, and finally reached out his hand firmly towards Luo Huai's heart.
"Why are you here?" a voice came from outside the door.
Luo Huai turned around and saw the tall Director Zhong standing in front of the warehouse door looking at him.
"I'm here to put the props. Brother Lin asked me to put the things here." Luo Huai answered obediently, "Strange, where is Brother Lin? He was here just now."
"The voltage in the villa is not very stable. He must have gone to repair the electricity." Zhong Jiudao lowered his left hand with his index and middle fingers together. If you stare closely at his fingers, you can vaguely see tiny lightning flashes surrounding his fingertips.
"Brother Lin also understands this? He is truly an all-round actor." Luo Huai said with emotion.
"Don't stay in the warehouse for too long. It's filled with gloomy energy... I mean the first floor is cold and gloomy, where you can easily get sick. Your room is on the second floor. I'll take you there," said Zhong Jiudao.
"A room has been arranged for me. That means, Director Zhong, can I participate in the filming of this movie? Has it been completely confirmed for me?" Luo Huai pointed at himself and said with a happy face.
Zhong Jiudao nodded and said, "You have excellent appearance. It is our honor to be able to participate in my low-budget movie."
"No, no, my acting skills are average, and I still need to learn from Director Zhong." Luo Huai said happily, "Thank you Director Zhong for giving me this opportunity!"
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
This silly young man was just as Qian Duoqun said, he was still counting money after being sold. If he hadn't arrived in time, Luo Huai's anger would have been sucked away by the housekeeper Lin.
"Huai" means a ghost tree, and this name is likely to attract unclean things. He just read Luo Huai's resume and found that this person has a very light fate, and is the most likely to encounter ghosts. Even though Zhong Jiudao has warned the "power sources" in the villa, there are still ghosts who cannot resist Luo Huai's temptation.
To be on the safe side, let’s add a layer of protection to Luo Huai.
Zhong Jiudao walked behind Luo Huai and secretly drew a protective amulet.
The amulet must be attached to the chest or the back to be effective. Zhong Jiudao took two quick steps towards Luo Huai, intending to pat Luo Huai's back with the lightest movement possible, making sure it was so light that Luo Huai would not even feel the pat.
Just as his palm touched Luo Huai's vest, the young man who was walking in front suddenly stopped, turned around and said, "Director Zhong, I'm not familiar with the villa, so you should walk in front."
After stopping and turning back, Zhong Jiudao's hand, which was originally intended to pat him lightly, was firmly pressed on Luo Huai's back, and because the distance was too close, his lips almost touched the tip of Luo Huai's nose.
Luo Huai is 181cm tall, which is a very good height in the entertainment industry, much taller than most people. But Zhong Jiudao is 10cm taller than Luo Huai, and the position is just a coincidence.
Luo Huai's body froze all of a sudden, revealing an annoyed expression.
Although the posture was rather awkward, Zhong Jiudao still dutifully pasted the amulet on, then took a step back and said nonchalantly: "You walked too slowly, and I walked behind you without realizing it."
Luo Huai said with some fear: "Fortunately, it's okay. I thought Director Zhong was testing my performance after being frightened. I was worried that I didn't perform well."
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
Thanks to Luo Huaisha, the embarrassing situation was eased.
After putting on the amulet, as long as Luo Huai does not actively contact ghosts or make any promises to ghosts, he will not be hurt.
When they were moving things before, Zhong Jiudao also secretly posted one for Qian Duoqun, and now both of them are safe...
"Slurp, slurp", the sound of sipping porridge came as I passed by the restaurant.
"This porridge is so delicious!" Qian Duoqun ran into the restaurant at some point and drank the bowl of meat porridge sweetly. Aunt Yang stood behind Qian Duoqun with a kind face.
"You are the chef hired by Director Zhong, right? Compared to ordering boxed lunches, it is indeed more economical to buy groceries and hire someone to cook for you, and it tastes better." Qian Duoqun gave Aunt Yang a thumbs up, "Aunt Yang, I'll leave the crew's meals to you from now on!"
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
No matter how many amulets you have, they can’t prevent you from eating the food cooked by ghosts!
"I'm glad you like it," Aunt Yang looked at Qian Duoqun kindly with the eyes she would use to look at a piglet, "Director Zhong didn't eat the meal I cooked just now, and I was worried that he would be dissatisfied."
"What is there for him to be dissatisfied with?" Qian Duoqun said, "The crew is so poor, and being able to hire an auntie with such good cooking skills like you is really..."
Before Qian Duoqun could finish his words, he fell headfirst, his face hit the bowl, and foam began to come out of his mouth.
"Brother Qian!" Luo Huai rushed over with concern, "Brother Qian, what's wrong with you? Is it food poisoning? I'll call an ambulance now!"
Luo Huai took out his cell phone to make a call, but Zhong Jiudao held him down.
"It's okay, I won't die." Zhong Jiudao gritted his teeth and said, "I just drank some cold porridge."
"But he has fainted and is foaming at the mouth?" Luo Huai said in shock.
"It's just a cold stomach causing reflux." Zhong Jiudao said as he turned on the induction cooker and boiled a pot of water. "Just drink some hot water and it will be fine."
"Really?" Luo Huai said in disbelief.
Zhong Jiudao took out a piece of paper, wrote something on it, burned it, and threw the ashes into the boiling water.
Zhong Jiudao poured the water into the bowl, skillfully pinched Qian Duoqun's chin with one hand, and poured the water into his mouth.
Luo Huai: "Why do you want to drink paper ash?"
"Wood ash is a traditional Chinese medicine that can cure diseases." Zhong Jiudao said calmly.
Luo Huai: "But that's paper, not grass or wood?"
Zhong Jiu said: "Paper is made from plants, and the effect is the same if it is burned into ash. Look, he has woken up now."
Sure enough, after drinking the magic water, Qian Duoqun opened his eyes dazedly, wiped the white foam from the corners of his mouth, and said in confusion: "Why did I fall asleep while eating?"
Zhong Jiudao was just thinking about how to get back when he heard Luo Huai say, "Brother Qian, don't drink cold porridge anymore. It's bad for your stomach and will cause reflux and foaming at the mouth."
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
Very good, luckily Luo Huai is a naive person, he is determined to use this actor, no matter how much money he is paid!
"Thanks to your wood ash. I didn't expect it to be so effective. I will go to the pharmacy to buy some next time and keep it on hand." Qian Duoqun said.
Zhong Jiudao hurriedly stopped him: "I'm not a professional doctor, I'm just desperate. I think it's hot water that's really effective, not paper ashes. You should just eat normally and drink more hot water."
"Hot water tastes so bad..." Qian Duoqun muttered, then he touched his stomach and shut up.
After experiencing this incident, Zhong Jiudao deeply felt how troublesome it was to have normal people and evil spirits in the same crew, and he had to find a way to solve it.
Having a talisman alone is not enough. The talisman can only prevent evil spirits from actively hurting people, but evil spirits are cunning and can deceive humans in various ways, making it difficult to guard against them.
"The props are all there, but the actors are not, and the script also needs to be revised. Lao Qian, go find the actors and staff, and Luo Huai, go back and wait for notification. Once the actors are all there, we'll ask you to come to the script reading session. Once all the staff are in place, we'll officially start filming." Zhong Jiudao was in a hurry to drive people away.
Qian Duoqun is indeed busy. Not only does he have to take care of the Zhong Jiudao crew, but he also has to run around for many small crews. Although he can't join the big productions, he is still very important in some small-budget productions.
"Okay, I'll get busy right away. I also rented that truck, so I'll leave it to you as a means of transportation." Qian Duoqun said as he packed up and was about to leave.
Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something and ran to Aunt Yang who had almost become invisible and said, "It's my stomach that's not good, not the food you cooked. Your cooking skills are really great. You must be the chef of the crew in the future! I'm still looking forward to eating your best crispy pork belly."
Aunt Yang said gratefully: "Thank you, Mr. Qian. I thought I was going to lose this job."
Qian Duoqun: "How could that be? Just call me Xiao Qian."
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
Let Aunt Yang be responsible for the meals of the entire crew. It is guaranteed that in three months all the crew members will shorten their lifespan by 20 years!
"I called a taxi. Xiao Luo, where are you going? I'll take you there." Qian Duoqun said to Luo Huai.
Luo Huai hesitated for a while, then looked at Zhong Jiudao with a conflicted look, his expression very complicated.
"What's wrong?" Zhong Jiudao's heart tightened, worried that Luo Huai would start to doubt what had happened before.
Luo Huai swallowed his saliva and said carefully: "It won't be long before the machine starts, right? Can I live here?"
He was afraid that Zhong Jiudao would refuse, so he quickly explained: "It's like this, I've already graduated, I don't have much money, and I don't have a place to live for the time being. I've been staying at a friend's house before, but now my friend has joined the group, so it's not convenient for me to live at his house anymore."
"No problem. The house is so big, you can live in it." Qian Duoqun said before Zhong Jiudao could express his opinion.
"Really? Thank you, Brother Qian!" Luo Huai said happily.
Zhong Jiu said: "..."
Seeing that Zhong Jiudao looked unhappy, Qian Duoqun pulled him aside and whispered, "It will take at least two or three days to find all the actors and staff, and the contract hasn't been signed yet. If you let him go during this period, what if a better crew offers him a higher salary? No one will be paid less than us!"
Seeing that Zhong Jiudao was still about to object, Qian Duoqun raised his phone and said, "The car I called is here, I'm leaving first! Xiaoluo, don't worry, the house has been rented, and it's so big, you can live there as you like!"
After saying that, Qian Duoqun ran away, leaving Zhong Jiudao and Luo Huai behind.
In the huge villa, only Zhong Jiudao, Luo Huai and a group of people were left.
Zhong Jiudao rubbed his forehead and said to Luo Huai, who looked innocent: "Come with me, I'll arrange a room for you."
"Thank you Director Zhong!" Luo Huai said gratefully.
Zhong Jiudao looked at his face with an expression that said "I made a profit" and sighed in his heart. This naive guy actually thinks he is quite smart.
At present, the evil ghosts in the villa have not been appeased yet. Zhong Jiudao did not dare to let Luo Huai live in too remote a place, so he gave Luo Huai the room next to his bedroom.
"You live here. I will give you the script later. Think about the script carefully and try not to go out." Zhong Jiudao ordered.
"OK!"
After Zhong Jiudao settled Luo Huai, he quickly installed the printer that Qian Duoqun had brought, retyped a copy of the script, selected the part that belonged to Luo Huai's character, and handed the script to him.
I hope Luo Huai can study the script and memorize his lines in his room and not go out.
Fortunately, Luo Huai was an obedient child. After he got the script, he hid in the room and refused to come out. When Zhong Jiudao closed the door, he could vaguely hear Luo Huai say happily: "This room is really nice!"
Of course the rooms are good. This villa was a luxury house in its day. Each bedroom is large and has complete bathroom facilities. The hardware facilities are comparable to a five-star hotel, and the decoration also has the characteristics of the times.
After settling Luo Huai, Zhong Jiudao began to deal with the house.
He first bought some new ingredients to prevent the staff from having any problems eating them again.
Afterwards, Zhong Jiudao began to draw talismans on a large scale, guarding most areas in the villa with talismans to prevent something like what happened again, where Luo Huai encountered Steward Lin while moving his luggage.
Regardless of where these evil ghosts' territories were, Zhong Jiudao drove them all into the theater. Anyway, these ignorant old-world ghosts loved watching movies, so he let them spend the next three months in the theater.
But watching movies consumes a lot of electricity. Zhong Jiudao told them that they could watch movies if they wanted, but they had to find a way to get electricity. Butler Lin is currently working hard to generate electricity for everyone, but he is weaker than the ghost in a dress, and his soul will be gone in less than five days. Everyone should think about who to find to provide power after Butler Lin is used up.