"Our Wutong County is poor! So poor the whole country knows it! You're willing to come here to film, bringing job opportunities to the local people and giving our county a chance to be known by more people. On behalf of everyone in the county, I thank you!"
Grabbing the director with his left hand and the producer with his right, Director Luo looked as if he'd stumbled upon a golden opportunity, sparks of hope flashing in his eyes.
Site fees and labor costs were temporary; the movie was going to be released!
If the movie became a hit and more people saw this place, maybe they would want to visit. That would be a long-term benefit!
"We're the ones who should be thanking you! You've not only provided policy conveniences but also manpower and support! With dedicated officials like you, this place will become prosperous sooner or later!"
The producer was used to dealing with government officials. His words were extremely sincere, and everyone who heard them felt they were perfectly appropriate.
"Our land here is barren, and the climate isn't great either. The only thing we have is beautiful scenery. Unfortunately, we're stuck in an awkward spot—not far from, but not close to, two national scenic areas. When tourists come, most go straight to those attractions. Other than adventurous backpackers, regular people don't come to these remote backwoods, which is why we haven't been able to develop for all these years."
"For a better life, the young people have all left their hometowns. Anyone who can put down roots in more prosperous lands never comes back. Slowly, only the old, weak, sick, and disabled are left. It's hard to develop like this!"
A deeply tanned clerk with a naturally sorrowful face followed closely behind Director Luo. It was his job to say the things the leaders were too embarrassed to say.
"I will definitely do a good job shooting this film. When it's released, I'll be sure to invite you all to see it in the theater."
Deng Yu promised earnestly.
The film had a low budget, but that was purely because it lacked big scenes, the costumes and props weren't expensive, and they hadn't hired any A-list celebrities. It wasn't because the investors lacked backing.
In fact, if the investors weren't so well-established and didn't have a certain sense of industry responsibility, they would never have funded a film like this.
Whether it was a comedy, a romance, or even a martial arts or horror film, their market was much larger than that of a realistic drama like this one.
New City Entertainment, the company behind this film, held shares in movie theater chains. As long as the finished film didn't violate any laws or regulations, it was guaranteed a theatrical release.
He was the director, so his words were especially convincing. A light of hope ignited in everyone's eyes!
If they didn't have deep feelings for this land, who would be willing to come back here to become a civil servant? Honestly, even heading south to work a factory job on an assembly line would earn them more money.
These poverty alleviation officials dreamed every day of finding ways to lead the villagers to prosperity. Now that they had seized such a good opportunity, they were naturally dedicated.
"If you have any needs, you must let us know. As long as it's within our power, we will cooperate fully!"
After meeting the film crew at the entrance to the town, they brought the main creative team to the county government building for a reception. Everyone at the Poverty Alleviation Office was incredibly enthusiastic.
The lean Director Luo still had dirt under his fingernails. If he hadn't heard that a film crew was coming, he would probably still be out in the countryside helping with poverty relief.
He looked to be in his fifties, with graying hair and a face full of wrinkles, but he was actually only thirty-eight. Seeing that the film crew wasn't put off by the simple conditions, the wrinkles on his face seemed to smooth out a bit.
Panxi was already poor. For a proper prefecture-level city, it had very few tall buildings, and its infrastructure was worse than that of even a small town in a wealthy region. Wutong County, which was under its jurisdiction, was even poorer. The county government building itself was just a row of single-story houses, and many of the residences were still rammed-earth dwellings.
As they drove, the local villagers stopped in their tracks when they saw the crew's large convoy, their gazes a mixture of confusion, envy, and timidity as they watched them go. Sitting in the car, Ni Bingyan felt like she was on pins and needles.
Even at her lowest point, her life had been better than theirs.
Even though she had grown up in an orphanage.
The orphanage had been located in a very wealthy area. The annual government funding was sufficient, and there were frequent donations from kind-hearted people. She had never worn clothes with frayed collars and cuffs, nor had she ever gone hungry.
'So poor! This place is genuinely poor, they aren't just crying poor!'
"Our growing season is short and the weather is dry, so many crops don't grow well. But we do get a great harvest of potatoes every year."
Director Luo chuckled and curled his hands into fists, hiding his fingernails in his palms. "I've been in the countryside recently, helping the elderly and widowed harvest potatoes. I just can't seem to scrub my nails clean. Please excuse the sight."
He was worried the crew would think he wasn't taking this seriously, showing up looking so disheveled.
It was July, but he was wearing a barely-worn official's jacket, sweat beading on his forehead.
It was probably his best piece of clothing, usually kept in a chest. Due to the poor quality of the material, there were deep creases at the elbows and on the back that he couldn't smooth out, no matter how much he tried.
Ni Bingyan watched all this and, remembering her own T-shirt cost over three thousand yuan, felt her throat go dry.
She was just here for a job, which should have been no different from any other. She never expected to be so deeply moved the moment she set foot on this land.
'So, under the same flag, there were so many people whose entire family's income for a year couldn't afford a single one of my T-shirts!'
The clothes that were usually so soft and comfortable now felt as if they were covered in thorns, making her squirm.
While her thoughts were in turmoil, Director Luo was also stealing glances at her. It wasn't because of her beauty, but because the director had just introduced her as the female lead.
Recalling that the crew's application had mentioned a plotline where the female protagonist leads the villagers out of poverty, Director Luo couldn't help but feel a pang of disappointment.
'This girl, with her delicate features, so clearly a pampered child from a wealthy family—could she really play our hardworking, resilient Yingzi from the mountain valleys?'
'But the crew's impressive scale doesn't make it seem like they're just messing around.'
'I'll just have to wait and see.'
"You are all very dedicated, single-mindedly serving the people. The people will remember this. If we all work together with one heart, everything will get better!"
They had thought Director Deng was a man of few words, but it turned out he just disliked nonsense. When it mattered, he could be quite eloquent.
"Yes! We also firmly believe that hard work pays off. If we don't reach our goals right away, it just means we haven't worked hard enough!"
The deputy director cheerfully served tea and brought out a few plates of roasted peanuts.
"We don't have much here, but we do have plenty of mountains. This is wild tea from the mountains. It might not be well-known outside, but all the locals love it. And these are peanuts grown in the sandy mountain soil. They might be small, but they're incredibly fragrant! They were all gifts from the villagers. We don't have anything better to offer our guests. I hope you don't mind!"
Times had changed. This kind of reception wasn't considered poor hospitality; on the contrary, it was perfectly appropriate. The producer had been worried they would be dragged into a huge feast, putting him in the awkward position of not knowing whether to accept or refuse.
This way, no one felt any pressure. The crew members all said, "This is great, thank you for going to the trouble."
As the group discussed the details of the film shoot, the comrades from the Poverty Alleviation Office enthusiastically asked if the crew needed any help. An idea struck Assistant Director Liu Zhicheng, and he mentioned they were still short on extras.
To his surprise, the officials puffed out their chests and guaranteed they could come be extras for free! And if that wasn't enough, they could even mobilize the villagers to play themselves!
Hearing this promise, the assistant director was so grateful he could have wept!
As it happened, the first scene they were shooting was about the female lead receiving her acceptance letter and the county leaders delivering her tuition money. They had been worried that regular extras couldn't capture the right feel, but having these real officials play the parts would be perfect.
Since they wouldn't be paid and were single-mindedly focused on finding ways to lift the local area out of poverty, it wouldn't be a violation of any regulations.
Ni Bingyan watched, dumbfounded.
'These people are so driven!'
While the bigwigs chatted, Ni Bingyan sat to the side, shelling and eating a few peanuts. Suddenly, she remembered what her dad had told her before about live-stream e-commerce.
'I wonder if I could give that a try?'
"Have you guys ever tried selling agricultural products online? I remember the potatoes here are especially good quality, and your lamb and goji berries are also quite famous."
Potatoes are a common vegetable, arguably the king of vegetables in terms of both production and sales. Different cooking methods require different types of potatoes, so her family's restaurant and her senior brothers' shops would purchase the best potatoes from all over the country every year. They sourced all kinds: mealy ones, crisp ones, waxy ones, large ones perfect for shredding, and small ones ideal for braising or roasting.
'Relying on the well-developed internet and logistics networks to help the villagers sell their potatoes—wouldn't that fetch a higher price than selling them locally?'
'And the lamb and goji berries… summer will soon be over, followed by autumn and winter. My dad stews lamb soup every year in the colder months for nourishment. How many people across the country do the same?'
"I saw a lot of shepherds on the way here, and you just said the potatoes are being harvested now. I assume there's no shortage of supply. If the government takes the lead in arranging logistics, it should be pretty easy to sell them, right?"
Seeing that her words had substance, Director Luo sighed.
"We've been doing all that, but sales just won't go up. Our county magistrate advertises online every year, but the results are still poor."
Potatoes are grown all over the country, and lamb and goji berries aren't unique to Ning Province. It's hard to sell them successfully!
If they can't be sold elsewhere, they're just very ordinary things locally.
"Have you tried hiring an influencer to promote them?"
Director Luo looked very embarrassed. "Well… we can't afford it."
Small-time influencers aren't effective, and big ones charge a fortune. Where were they supposed to find a good person who would work for free?
If there were a major local influencer, they could at least try to play the "hometown" card, but the problem was, there weren't any!
"What about hiring a celebrity to promote them?"
At this, it wasn't just the people from the Poverty Alleviation Office staring at her; the film crew was also looking at her like she was an alien.
'So, celebrity-led sales promotions aren't a thing here yet.'
'People must feel it's something for influencers, and that if a celebrity does it, it's beneath them, a loss of face.'
Realizing this, Ni Bingyan said with great seriousness, "If you don't mind that I'm not famous enough, I'm more than willing to promote these products for the local people!"
She didn't have an agent at the moment, and the contract her company had her sign was flexible, allowing her to make her own decisions. In the world she was used to, celebrities would be fighting for a poverty alleviation opportunity like this!
'Since no one else is doing it yet, being the first might actually be a good thing.'