Trembling At A High Altitude

Chapter 14: The World Is Too Small

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

A masked woman walked out of the coffee shop next door and made a few announcements to everyone sitting at the table.

There were two bodyguards on her left and right. They were tall and strong, with one hand placed in their suits’ pockets—it was unknown if they were holding pistols.

Nobody spoke. They looked at the masked woman quietly.

For the actors in the theater, the director couldn’t be offended. Because, in a certain sense, she could control the life and death of every actor!

For example, if the plot required one or several extras to die, and extras were no different from each other in the director’s eyes, whoever died and became wax statues was the same. But if the director didn’t like you somehow, and made you the one to die in this act, you could only count yourself unlucky.

After turning into wax statues, one could only be rescued if their relatives or friends helped make up for their amount.

If they had no family here, their acting skills were not on par with their character on the film set, didn’t get along with others well, or had no friends who were willing to help to rescue them, they could only keep on being a beautiful wax statue in the Waxwork Museum.

The price for rescuing a friend that became a wax statue was too high.

The price was enough to bring the thousand-meter platform down to the ground. It was self-evident how normal people would choose.

Just like Gao Fei had said, even if he paid a heavy price and rescued his girlfriend, who could say that she wouldn’t act foolishly again in the next film?

Thus, saving wax statue friends was a false proposition.

“We will shoot a car accident. The two of them…” The director pointed to the man and woman wearing large sunglasses over at the round table. “Are the main characters of this car accident. They are acting as a couple. The two had an argument in the car, the male protagonist was very angry, sped up the car to more than 100 km/h, and the six of you are extras, people who were just about to cross the road.

“Unfortunately, the car comes crashing at high speed toward all of you, who are crossing the road. This car crash scene will be considered completed as long as someone dies.

“What we’re going to be shooting is the poignant picture of the moment the car collided with people. We’ll use this clip to warn people how terrible a car accident can be, and not to drive while they’re angry.

“If an extra unfortunately becomes a wax statue in this process, it’s also an honor. At least, the value of his or her existence will be fulfilled.

“The drones at the scene will take full-angle shots of the entire process.

“If it’s good enough, one of the shots can be included in the poster. Once selected for the poster, each of you will receive an additional 5 points. Those whose acting, on-the-go performance, etc. are particularly excellent, will receive additional rewards.

“Please wait for my notice on when the extras get up when to cross the street. I’ll have specific requirements on the pace of crossing the street.

“Everything will be based on the instructions in your earbuds. Anyone who violates my instructions will be fired from the studio.

“Firing will incur a one-time penalty of 1,000 points.

“Now, you have 10 minutes to discuss the plots. After 10 minutes, this car accident act will start shooting officially!”

After the director finished, he gave each person a small earbud-style Bluetooth earphone, then turned around and walked into the cafe next door, leaving eight actors at the round table.

“The chance of dying and becoming a wax statue is 1/8. I hope it’s not me,” Gao Fei murmured a few words toward Li Teng in a low voice.

“Isn’t the life and death of we, the six extras, all in that couple’s hands? To be precise, in the steering wheel in the hands of that man in the sunglasses?” Li Teng whispered back to Gao Fei.

“Yeah, alas! It can’t be helped. They are clearly senior actors who experienced and luckily survived many performances. At the very least, they must be guest extras. What can we newbies do?”

“There are levels to actors?” Li Teng knew absolutely nothing about this industry.

“Yeap, for a complete film crew, all those who just entered the industry are all extras. Then, we have small guest extras, character actors, mid-level character actors, high-level character actors, minor roles, and protagonists, and finally movie kings or movie queens. In small scenes like ours, so long as the two of them are one level higher than us, even if they were only small guest extras, they can be protagonists of this small scene,” replied Gao Fei.

“Hierarchies exist in all worlds indeed.” Li Teng wasn’t surprised.

There was nothing to complain about. For those two to be main characters in this scene, they naturally had gone through the dangers of several, or even dozens of scenes prior to this.

In the real world, if one wasn’t born in a rich or powerful family, and still wanted to be distinguished in a field, they had to work even harder than others. Over here, at least there wouldn’t be such unfairness as rich heirs.

“Big Brother, you’re the main actor! I didn’t know at all! I was so lucky to meet you right after I arrived, Big Brother!” A spectacled young man around 20 years old was looking very eagerly and enviously through the spectacles toward the man in the sunglasses beside him.

When this spectacled man had just gotten on the island just now, he had been in the same state of ignorance as Li Teng. The man in the sunglasses had scared him to the point he peed in a certain Waxwork Museum. After that event, he had labeled the man in the sunglasses as Big Brother.

“I am the future movie king. Naturally, you will get your share of benefits by following me.” The man took off his sunglasses, reached out, and patted the spectacled man’s shoulder.

Upon seeing the man’s face after removing his sunglasses, Li Teng couldn’t help but frown.

It was someone he knew!

Could one accidentally encounter acquaintances here?

No, someone must have deliberately checked up the actors’ information and arranged so. Otherwise, it doesn’t make sense at all.

“Movie king? You? Just a mere extra, it’d be good if you can survive to become a character actor. What are you showing off for?” The woman in the sunglasses said to the man, her tone very dismissive.

They weren’t the main characters of the movie Race of Ruin. For the real main characters of Race of Ruin, these two were insignificant at best. Of course, in this small scene of a car accident, they were indeed main characters in comparison to extras like Li Teng and Gao Fei.

“Showing off? What do I have to show off? For them, I am the main character! Their God! Besides, I am in charge of all their fates!” The man in the sunglasses was a bit dissatisfied with the woman’s attitude. He put his sunglasses back on and snorted.

After the extras heard his piece, their faces looked a bit ugly.

Li Teng even purposefully bowed his head and pretended to be drinking coffee, using the coffee cup’s opening to cover most of his face.

Currently, he was silently cursing.

The man in the sunglasses was right—the six extras’ fates were now in his hands.

After the filming officially started, the six extras would follow the earphones’ instructions and cross this very wide street in front of them in order. There would also be limits on the speed of crossing, nothing faster or slower than that was allowed. Their actions were completely beyond their own control.

Also, the man in the sunglasses would drive a sports car at the speed of more than 100 km/h. Once he killed one extra, the filming of this scene would be completed.

As for who he hit and who he didn’t, it was all at his whim!

Though it was only acting, and the actor who got hit wouldn’t really die, they would turn into wax statues.

Unless they had more than 1,000 points left in their accounts, in which case they’d be able to avoid becoming a wax statue by deducting 1,000 points.

However, who would leave 1,000 points in the account if they had that much?

Why wouldn’t they make the stone pillar disappear and leave right away?

If the man in the sunglasses recognized Li Teng, the latter didn’t need to think to know who that man would choose to crash into after the filming started.

Unless there was someone among the extras that the man in the sunglasses hated even more than Li Teng, but this was absolutely impossible.

Li Teng could only lament in his heart that his luck was really too bad after encountering such a situation at his first filming scene.

“Hahaha… Don’t be afraid, guys. Actually, I’m a really gentle and kind person. There’s not much time left before shooting the scene. You can all say a few words, introduce yourselves, and say something that can make me happy. After that, I will finally decide which one of you the car will hit later.” The man in the sunglasses saw the changes in the six extras’ facial expressions and laughed triumphantly.