The confrontation between Chu Xiaxing and Director Wang drew the entire film crew's attention, and everyone was anxiously watching the scene unfold, uncertain of what would happen next.
Director Wang exploded in anger: "Today's actors are something else - their acting isn't much, but they sure have sharp tongues. Having connections really makes a difference, huh!"
Director Wang was directly mocking Chu Xiaxing for supposedly using her connections to get the role, practically ready to completely abandon any pretense of civility. This had originally been gossip circulating only among the higher-ups in the crew, but now, enraged, he began to air the dirty laundry.
Unlike Cao Yangang, Chu Xiaxing wouldn't let Director Wang manipulate her or take the blame. She responded calmly: "Nonsense. The real problem is your poor directing. Having to shoot such simple scenes so many times - having connections really makes a difference, huh."
Chu Xiaxing: This level of skill and he’s a director? Getting a job these days is really easy.
Watching her composed demeanor, Director Wang became even more enraged. He decided to pull out the classic line, sneering: "You think directing is so easy? If you're so good, why don't you do it? Why don't you direct!?"
Director Wang spoke in anger, never actually believing Chu Xiaxing could direct, hence his careless words.
When Chu Xiaxing heard this, she gave Director Wang an odd look, surprised that he would hand over the director's position so easily. Seeing it as him deliberately setting himself up for failure, she simply replied: "Fine."
Director Wang: "???"
Cao Yangang immediately tried to smooth things over: "What do you mean 'fine'? What are you saying..."
"Since you're voluntarily stepping down, I'll humbly accept." Chu Xiaxing walked up to Director Wang, calmly took the walkie-talkie from his hand, and gestured dismissively, "Please step aside, you're blocking the monitor."
Chu Xiaxing didn't care whether his words were spoken in anger - she had long disliked Director Wang and wanted to kick him out!
The crew members stared at her bold move in bewilderment, especially the cinematographer who had been sitting by the monitor, who was too shocked to speak.
Director Wang, caught off guard when Chu Xiaxing snatched his walkie-talkie, hadn't expected her to take his words literally. Furiously, he shouted: "Let her direct! Let her direct! I want to see what masterpiece she can create!"
Director Wang didn't believe Chu Xiaxing could coordinate the different departments. He thought she'd eventually come crawling back to him. Who would listen to a young actress like her?
Chu Xiaxing sat in the director's chair as if it were her own comfortable seat at home. Calmly holding the walkie-talkie, she said steadily: "Everyone heard that? Next scene!"
Seeing her sitting in the director's chair, Director Wang felt sick to his stomach, pacing anxiously. The director's chair was a symbol of status on set - ordinary crew members were absolutely forbidden from sitting in it. If a director offered their chair to someone, that person was usually a producer or major actor - someone important.
As Cao Yangang was about to intervene and stop Chu Xiaxing's self-destructive behavior, she silenced him with a single glare. Once seated in the director's chair with walkie-talkie in hand, her aura became incredibly sharp, as if switching into work mode. She coldly asked: "Cao Yangang, we're about to start shooting. Can you act or not?”
While Chu Xiaxing might be a health-conscious senior outside the set, back in production she transformed into the authoritative Director Chu, instantly taking control of the entire scene.
When Cao Yangang met her ice-cold gaze, he shuddered and no longer dared to mediate, quickly responding: "Yes, yes, I can..."
Cao Yangang hurriedly returned to the set - the next scene only required his part, not Chu Xiaxing's appearance. The crew members bewilderedly returned to their work positions, but they still looked uncertainly at Chu Xiaxing by the monitor.
Chu Xiaxing glanced at the call sheet by the monitor, then at the script's dialogue, and commanded: "Lighting and B camera go inside first to set up lights, A camera stays here for a tracking shot. Don't all bunch up together."
Director Wang always kept both cameras together, never coordinating in advance, resulting in extremely long scene transitions. Once such a delayed working style became a habit, the crew would become lazy and careless, gradually making the whole team slack off.
The lighting director hesitated: "Right now?"
Chu Xiaxing: "When else?"
The lighting director looked at Director Wang's livid face nearby. Though he initially wanted to refuse Chu Xiaxing's orders, remembering her connections made him reluctant to offend her, so he quietly replied: "Alright, I'll have them set up..."
However, the lighting director's fear of Chu Xiaxing's backing didn't mean everyone would obediently follow orders.
"Cut!" Chu Xiaxing frowned at the monitor screen and directly asked through the walkie-talkie, "Who's operating A camera? Come see me."
The camera department consisted of the cinematographer, camera operators, camera assistants, and dolly grips. The cinematographer usually monitored the screen while the operator controlled the camera.
Director Wang watched the A camera operator head to the monitor with a schadenfreude expression, knowing Chu Xiaxing couldn't control A camera. The camera department was all male, with many familiar faces loyal to Director Wang, so they naturally wouldn't immediately submit to Chu Xiaxing.
Chu Xiaxing glanced at the dark-skinned, plain-looking male operator before her, nodded at the monitor screen, and raised an eyebrow: "What's this? You call this a tracking shot?"
The male operator avoided her questioning gaze but responded defiantly: "Yes."
Chu Xiaxing smiled coldly: "So I need to teach you cinematography now? You're a camera operator and don't know how to do tracking shots?"
The operator glanced at her sideways and said stubbornly: "That's right, I don't."
Chu Xiaxing could tell he was acting out for Director Wang. She nodded thoughtfully and decided not to argue: "Fine, you can go. Since you can't do tracking shots, don't bother earning this money. Have the production book you a ticket - go back wherever you came from."
The operator was stunned - he didn't expect Chu Xiaxin to fire him directly. Changing crew mid-production was typically taboo, mainly because finding replacements immediately was difficult!
After speaking, Chu Xiaxing completely ignored the operator and turned to the cinematographer, scoffing: "I've never heard of a camera operator who can't do tracking shots. You're his boss - are you telling me you can't do tracking shots either?"
The cinematographer, being the department head, looked troubled: "I..."
Chu Xiaxing said flatly: "Either you can or you can't, give me a straight answer - is there anyone in this entire camera department who can do tracking shots?"
The cinematographer couldn't answer, looking at the expressionless Chu Xiaxin while secretly glancing at Director Wang nearby. He knew this was a moment to choose sides and was clearly torn!
Seeing his silence, Chu Xiaxing stood up leisurely, stretched her arms, and said casually: "Fine, so none of you can. An entire camera department that can't do tracking shots - I wonder why you're even here. I guess I'll have to do it myself."
"But think carefully - if I touch that camera today, your entire camera department can pack up and leave. How do you expect to get your final payment when you can't even shoot properly? I'll earn that money instead - since when did filmmaking become charity work?"
Chu Xiaxing had never seen a cinematographer who couldn't do tracking shots - any production would fire someone for that. What kind of cinematographer doesn't know how to shoot?
The cinematographer had been hesitant, but when Chu Xiaxing accused them of not knowing tracking shots and mentioned the final payment, he immediately changed his attitude and stood up: “We can! We can! Of course we can do a tracking shot! Who can’t do a tracking shot…”
Cinematographer: You've got to be kidding - if this gets out, I'll never get hired again!
Standing up for Director Wang might keep him employed on this production, but if he got labeled as "unable to do tracking shots," he'd never get work elsewhere. No one would hire an incompetent cinematographer.
"Oh, so you can?" Chu Xiaxing showed mock disappointment and pointed at the male operator beside her, asking: "Didn't he just say he couldn't?"
The cinematographer hurriedly explained: "He's young and inexperienced, please don't take offense... I'll shoot it! I'll do this scene! It's just a tracking shot!"
The cinematographer stopped Chu Xiaxing from approaching the camera, finally persuading her back to the director's chair without letting her touch the equipment.
Chu Xiaxing said coldly: "If he's inexperienced, he shouldn't be on set. I'm here to work, not babysit. Don't waste time."
"Right away, right away!" The cinematographer promptly agreed, signaling to the bewildered operator with his eyes, whispering, "Go on, you go..."
The operator hesitated: "But..."
The cinematographer snapped, “But what! I’ll operate the camera this afternoon!”
Cinematographers typically don't operate cameras, but with Chu Xiaxing publicly firing the operator, and not wanting things to completely fall apart, he had to step up. Hearing this, the operator slunk away, understanding he'd become a sacrificial pawn - the cinematographer had chosen to side with Chu Xiaxin!
Chu Xiaxing didn't care whether the cinematographer's loyalty was sincere - she just needed them to work. Plus, the cinematographer's skills were better than the operator's, so she had no objections to the personnel change.
Seeing her successfully pressure the cinematographer to the camera, the crew instantly became more energetic, no longer daring to slack off. With hierarchical differences in the crew, once the head of the camera department complied, others couldn't resist.
Watching the crew reorganize, Chu Xiaxing said casually: "That's more like it. If anyone doesn't understand their job, just tell me directly. I'll do it myself, and you can leave - we don't keep idle people here."
"Don't take on porcelain work without a diamond drill. If you don’t have the skills, why are you here to earn money?”
Chu Xiaxing wasn't one for pleasantries - she just needed to target what people cared about most, discussing art with the cultured and money with the workers. The crew had varying levels of quality - some were bullies who needed to be directly intimidated!
Director Wang had thought Chu Xiaxing couldn't control the crew, but she immediately brought everyone in line by taking down the cinematographer.
Because Chu Xiaxing truly had a discerning eye, immediately spotting problems in the footage and pinpointing issues accurately, everyone became deeply invested in their work, not daring to slack off for fear of being caught. Whether it was acting, cinematography, lighting, or makeup, she always hit the nail on the head, making people realize they couldn't fool her, so they could only focus harder.
Crew members: We’re afraid she’ll actually take our jobs, and then we won’t earn a cent.
Chu Xiaxing's instructions for each scene were crisp and clear, significantly improving both shot quality and efficiency. After just a few scenes, she'd elevated the crew's atmosphere, making everyone feel much better compared to Director Wang's tedious approach. Work requires a sense of accomplishment - Director Wang's coordination was exhausting, but Chu Xiaxing's decisions were much clearer.
Before long, even the cinematographer got caught up in it, gradually forgetting Chu Xiaxing's true identity, even changing how he addressed her: "Boss, how's this take? Did I shoot it okay?"
Chu Xiaxing glanced at the monitor and praised: "Not bad, you do have some skill. But you could hold the shot longer - the previous take wasn't bad either..."
Chu Xiaxing always kept things professional, freely praising those who did good work, rarely letting personal emotions affect shooting.
Hearing her immediately identify the key points, the cinematographer felt like he'd found a kindred spirit and responded: "Alright, let's do another take!"
Director Wang didn't understand much about cinematography, so the cinematographer never had creative enthusiasm, usually just going through the motions and trying to coast by. But since Chu Xiaxing truly understood what was good and what wasn't, he felt motivated to show off. After all, showing off requires an appreciative audience - showing off to the wrong person is just a waste of time.
Seeing the crew working harmoniously and attentively, Director Wang finally stopped treating it as an amusing farce and decided to stop this ridiculous show, approaching Chu Xiaxing in the director's chair: "You're not the director! Get up right now!"
Chu Xiaxing was focused on reviewing playback and responded leisurely: "Since when do people shout on set? What's the first AD doing? Can't even keep the set quiet?"
The first AD, suddenly called out, was startled, afraid of being fired next, and diplomatically suggested: "Director Wang, why don't you rest over there for a while? We're about to shoot the next scene, just one more scene today..."
Director Wang stared at him in disbelief: "Are you joking? I'm the director, and you're telling me to rest!?"
The first AD mumbled: "But we're almost done, and we can wrap early today..."
Director Wang had recently been shooting until late at night, exhausting the crew. Chu Xiaxing's shooting today was well-organized, and everyone now hoped to finish early and eat, getting some much-needed rest. The crew didn't have weekends off - their only rest was the brief time after wrap.
Director Wang was escorted out of the set by others, truly not expecting power to change hands so quickly - Chu Xiaxing had no intention of leaving the director's chair once she sat in it!
Soon, Chu Xiaxing finished the last scene of the day, perfectly on schedule. She cheerfully announced, “Wrap! Dinner time!”
For the first time in many days, everyone completed work so early, and they were filled with joy, calling out one after another: “Thank you, Boss!”
“Thank you, Director!”
"That's a wrap! Thank you, Boss! Thank you, Director Chu!”
This was a crew tradition - when the day's work finished early, they would loudly thank the director. The crew was mostly male, and the young men had strong voices, now shouting almost deafeningly.
"Alright, stop shouting, go eat," Chu Xiaxing waved at them casually, long used to such sounds, and handed her script and thermos to Li Jing. "Let's go too."
The crew members dispersed cheerfully, happy to get extra rest today, all in high spirits.
Nearby, Director Wang heard the loud thanks from the set and was furious - he was the real director, who were they calling director!?
Director Wang raged: "This can't be shot! How can we shoot this? Call the producer right now - isn't anyone going to control her!?"
Having been unceremoniously usurped, Director Wang, besides ranting and raving, could only resort to a childish tactic – telling on her.
In the city center, Xia Hong received the call in complete bewilderment, repeating with uncertainty: "What? Chu Xiaxin fired the director?"