With money, everything moves fast. In days, Luke signed a contract with Chen's broke crew, paying them 1 million BlueCoins monthly for filming. The seniors, seeing the transfer, were still in disbelief.
"Damn, it's not a dream!"
"Luke struck gold!"
"Stop calling him Luke, it's Boss now!"
"Sugar daddy, if you've got more projects, count us in!"
"We're pros, we've got this!"
Luke, facing their goofy enthusiasm, rolled his eyes. Money corrupts so fast…
"Filming will be in América. The sooner we start, the better," he said. "I'll send the script and storyboards. It shouldn't be tough for you guys."
Luke figured 1 million a month was a steal. The seniors were talented, award-winners at university, and their ads had a solid reputation. Their six-person team mastered cinematography, editing, special effects, sound, lighting, and even set design. A bargain for quality.
He already planned to make them partners for future projects. No way I'm underpaying talent like this.
"No problem, we're on it!"
"Don't worry, you'll be blown away!"
"If Wang screws up editing, I'll chop him up!"
The seniors, hyped, agreed eagerly. After dinner, they insisted on covering the bill, and Luke returned to campus, having sent the script.
In his shared dorm with three roommates, he overheard their chatter:
"Liam, the class rep, is loaded!"
"A real rich kid!"
"5 million for his film, aiming for online platforms, right?"
"He bought rights to a trendy urban novel. It'll smash!"
"His lackey already joined his team. What a bootlicker!"
Luke greeted his roommates, stored the contract, and browsed actor profiles on his laptop.
"Luke, spill it, what's up with you and Emma, the class hottie?" one roommate teased.
"Yeah, everyone knows you're tight. You worked with her before!"
"With your writing skills, you're on her team, right? Started filming yet?"
Luke shrugged: "Just friends. I didn't join her group; I'm doing something solo."
"Solo?" they gaped. "What kind?"
"A superhero film," he replied.
The roommates exchanged looks, confused. A historical flick about SevenIsles? Like those cheesy anti-war TV dramas? Their interest fizzled.
---
A week later, Luke had cast more actors, and with the seniors' help, everything was set for filming.
Chen messaged:
"Sets and props are coming along. The Mark 1, 2, and 3 armors are shaping up based on your designs. We've started building stages in Qinland. Special effects and editing will cost a lot, but the 20 million invested is worth it. We can shoot dialogue scenes now."
Luke, thrilled, replied: "Perfect. We start soon!"