Super Zoo

"Hello Suming, I am Guo Zijian."

Though labeled as a 'young director,' Guo Zijian was actually approaching forty this year, dressed in a pair of simple jeans and a printed T-shirt, looking fresh and straightforward. With his short hair slightly naturally curled and black-framed glasses, he didn't quite resemble a director; he seemed more like a youth from a street cram school, a common sight on Xiangjiang Street, inconspicuous. No wonder he often played extras on TV in the past.

After some simple pleasantries, the group, along with their equipment, took two official cars from the zoo and headed straight to a four-star hotel near the zoo. This would be the production crew's base of operations during the filming period.

Mr. Guo was not very talkative, rather quiet during the journey, but occasionally he would engage in polite and brief conversation, giving off a gentle and kind vibe, like the friendly guy next door, probably fitting the contemporary type of warm man. But he didn't babble as much as those warm men in dramas.

They quickly arrived at the hotel, and their rooms had already been booked. Nangong Huang, holding the room keys, accompanied Suming to show everyone to their rooms.

The production crew consisted of thirteen people, three women and ten men, fourteen including the director. The size of the crew was as small as it could get, which, by the same logic, allowed expenses to be kept to a minimum.

With a total of four rooms, Suming checked his watch. It was only three-thirty in the afternoon, "Mr. Guo, you must be tired from the journey. Rest first, and at precisely six o'clock in the evening, I will take everyone out for dinner as a welcome gesture."

"Suming, if you don't mind, I'd like to talk about the movie first," Guo Zijian said with a somewhat embarrassed smile, "Mr. Xiang didn't tell me anything. He just mentioned that he has a friend who wants to make a low-budget movie and asked me to assemble a team. Right now, I don't even know what we're going to do next."

Suming quite liked his straightforward approach; not beating around the bush and not pulling any punches. Whether or not he turned out to be a good director, he at least seemed to take his work seriously.

"Alright then, Nangong Huang, stay and see if anyone needs anything. Mr. Guo and I will go to the next room to talk," Suming said, turning towards the door, "Mr. Guo, please come with me."

Guo Zijian had a room to himself. After entering, Suming poured two glasses of water and briefly shared his ideas with him.

Throughout their conversation, Suming was discretely observing the young director's expressions.

Mr. Guo, on the other hand, didn't interrupt at all, listening quietly to Suming, occasionally nodding slightly to indicate he understood. Wherever he was unclear, he would communicate through his gaze and very expressive facial expressions.

Even when the topic of a horror movie with an investment of ten million came up, Guo Zijian didn't show any sign of surprise.

"That's pretty much it."

After confirming that Suming was finished, Guo Zijian fell silent for a few seconds, as if organizing his thoughts, before saying, "Suming, if I haven't misunderstood, you need to complete filming as soon as possible and release the film; the sooner, the better. Additionally, the main actors of this movie are animals, live animals, not special effects, right?"

"That's right," Suming nodded.

"It's a fascinating idea; just that alone is enough to draw attention. Not to mention your story, which is also very..." Guo Zijian paused for a moment, searching for the right word, "well, very thrilling, enough to send shivers down one's spine. However, are you sure that these animals can cooperate with filming?"

"I'm sure. I myself am a beast tamer with decent skills. But as for the movie industry, I'm completely clueless," Suming said.

"Oh, now I remember, the animal concert for Zhang Tianwang was directed by you, wasn't it? I have to say, it was fantastic!" After offering his praises, Guo Zijian didn't wait for Suming to respond with polite words but instead continuously carried on, "So I suppose the next steps for us are twofold; first, to quickly refine your story into a complete script, and second, to cast actors based on the script. Even though animals are the main focus, there are still many human actors involved. Male and female leads, as well as numerous extras."

"Okay, how can I assist you?" Suming asked.

"The story idea is yours, and only Su Sheng knows what the animals are capable of. Besides the actual filming process, your involvement is required in finalizing the screenplay and selecting the cast. If it's okay with you, why not start discussing the screenplay right now?"

As Guo Zijian spoke, he had already taken out a large stack of blank A4 paper and a pencil from his shoulder bag.

"You don't mind if I smoke, do you?" Suming placed a pack of cigarettes on the table.

Guo Zijian shrugged his shoulders to indicate that he didn't mind.

The two of them began to flesh out the 'horror story' in Suming's mind, little by little.

In the room, Suming smoked one cigarette after another, and soon the ashtray was filled with butts like a small forest.

Guo Zijian's hands, brain, and mouth seemed to be able to work independently. In the midst of their discussion, he continuously sketched scenes, characters, and animals on paper. If he was satisfied, he kept it; if not, he crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash can, which was quickly filling up with balls of paper.

Time flew, and both were engrossed in their discussion, occasionally arguing over a plot point or character, or collaborating to study the psychology and personality of a scene or character...

"Knock, knock, knock..." Someone knocked at the door, and Nangong Huang stuck his head in from outside. He started to speak but was immediately overcome by the smell of smoke and began to cough.

"Brother-in-law, it's six o'clock. We can start getting ready for dinner," Nangong Huang waved away the smoke in front of him.

"You guys go ahead; I need to think for a bit..." "Please take my colleagues out to eat, I'm fine with instant noodles."

Suming and Guo Zijian spoke at the same time, then both were taken aback and shared a laugh.

Only then did Suming remember that he was the boss; it wasn't right to let his employees go hungry. He extinguished his cigarette butt, stood up, and invited, "Mr. Guo, let's have something to eat. No matter how busy work is, we still need to eat."

"Alright."

In the hotel dining room's private room, there wasn't the raucous clinking of glasses one might expect. Dinner was finished quickly, and Guo Zijian efficiently assigned tasks to every member of the crew at the table. Half an hour later, he and Suming were back in the private room, discussing the plot.

The clock in the room pointed to midnight. Suming finally stubbed out the last cigarette, and Guo Zijian gathered a thick stack of manuscript paper, stuffing it into his bag.

"Let's leave the first draft at this for now. I'll think about whether it can be made better," said Guo Zijian, running his hands through his hair.

"Alright, then get some rest," Suming said as he stood up to take his leave.

"Wait a second, Su Sheng," Guo Zijian looked out at the night sky beyond the window. "Su Sheng, why don't you take me to the filming location to look around? Having a clear sense of the overall film environment in my mind would be helpful." Find adventures on My Virtual Library Empire

Suming was taken aback. He had encountered a workaholic!