Chapter Thirty-Five: Reduced to a Mere Tool (Please Vote)

"Are all departments ready?"
"Lighting team, ready."
"Set design, ready."
"Camera crew..."
The cameraman looked at Director Wu with some embarrassment.
"Xiao Yang, you go ahead," Director Wu sighed, but at the same time, he felt a hint of curiosity and anticipation toward Yang Qing.
Anyone who knows how to shoot to the beat can't be without some real skill—who would dare to show off otherwise?
Qin Xue also watched Yang Qing intently, eager to see what he would do next, hoping he would surprise her again and that Wen Xiaorou's judgment would be proven right.
"Alright!"
Yang Qing nodded, then walked over to the cameraman and said, "Brother, I'll need your help to start recording in a moment."
With that, he politely took control of the camera and began to operate it with practiced ease.
At first, the cameraman had little faith in Yang Qing's plan to shoot by precise timing. As a professional, he knew how difficult it was—it required not just the cameraman but also the subject to be perfectly in sync.
And Yang Qing, a man selling street food—surely he'd never even seen such an expensive, sophisticated camera before.
But as he watched Yang Qing expertly adjust the angles and focus, he was stunned. The trace of disdain he had just vanished in an instant.
"Alright."
A minute later, Yang Qing stopped fiddling with the camera and smiled at him, saying, "Brother, I've found the right angle and position, and the lens is focused. In a moment, I'll position myself. When Director Wu says 'action', you just hit record. After that, fifteen seconds—remember, fifteen seconds—then shift the angle forty-five degrees to the upper left, shoot another ten seconds, then..."
Yang Qing gave detailed, precise instructions, as if his mind held some invisible ruler, measuring and calculating every move.
"Wait... hold on, you're giving me too much information all at once—I can't remember it all," the cameraman interrupted, rubbing his forehead in distress. "How about you start over, and I'll write it down?"
"Write it down? Why bother wasting time?" Yang Qing replied, a little puzzled. "These are just standard operations, aren't they?"
The cameraman: ...
Standard operations!
Are you kidding me? Shooting by position and timing, and you call that standard?
And how does your brain even work? You can calculate these timings to the second!
Damn!
If you keep this up, it's not just segment shooting—it's a single take from start to finish!
"Ahem!"

At that moment, Director Wu cleared his throat as well. "Xiao Yang, there's no need to be so precise. Let's just take it step by step."
He gave Yang Qing a complicated look and smiled. "Honestly, you just gave this old man a fright—I really don't know how you calculated it all, even your own changes in expression are perfectly timed."
"Heh... let's just take it one shot at a time, I was only trying to save us some time," Yang Qing said sheepishly.
Everyone: ...
Save time?!
Yes, you certainly saved time. If we filmed it your way, we'd save even the time for editing—it could be broadcast as-is!
The entire crew was left numb with shock by Yang Qing.
When Director Wu called "action" again, the timed shooting with Yang Qing began in earnest.
"Beep!"
As soon as the camera started rolling, the cameraman was amazed to find that Yang Qing's positions and movements were perfectly framed—every shot was flawless.
A minute later.
"Good, cut, perfect! Next shot! Xiao Yang, you're up!"
"Okay."
Yang Qing nodded and began to position himself for the next sequence.
At this point, the cameraman realized, somewhat mournfully, that he had become nothing more than a tool for Yang Qing.
He didn't need to think, didn't need to make any extra moves—just start recording when Director Wu called "action" and stop when he said "cut."
Then Yang Qing would position him and set up the shot again.
Damn!
What kind of monster is this guy?
His feelings were a tangled mess.
And he wasn't the only one feeling conflicted.
Apart from Director Wu, whose smile grew wider, and the ever-calm Yang Qing, everyone else in the room looked positively stunned.
"Jin'er, have you noticed if Brother Yang has any other special talents?"
Fang Du looked at Tan Jin'er with a complicated expression, then muttered, "You probably don't know either, you've only been here a day.
Didn't they say no monsters were allowed after the founding of the country? Where did he come from?!"
Tan Jin'er: ...
Qin Xue gazed at Yang Qing in a daze, her face full of shock, delight, and... panic.
When they first met, she had saved him. When they arranged to meet, she saw his determination. When they met again, he surprised her.
But today, right now, as she watched him, she suddenly realized he had transformed—like a fledgling eagle breaking free of its shell, ready to soar.
His excellence made her heart flutter with inexplicable anxiety.
Whatever everyone else was feeling, Yang Qing and Director Wu were now working together with increasing harmony. The cameraman, now merely an assistant, was being used more and more efficiently, and the shooting progress accelerated dramatically.
By 7:50, after about forty minutes, all the preliminary filming was completed—there wasn't a single retake.

"Haha, Xiao Yang, you're excellent—a real talent, no, a genius! Why not come be my assistant?"
As soon as filming ended, Director Wu laughed heartily, clapping Yang Qing on the shoulder and extending an olive branch.
Everyone was stunned.
Yang Qing might not know who Director Wu really was, but everyone working at Yangcheng TV did.
Director Wu, full name Wu Jingfei, was the leading figure among the directors at Yangcheng TV. Most of the renowned directors in major TV stations and the entertainment industry had been trained by him.
Don't be fooled by the fact that he's now been assigned to direct a food documentary—if anything, that proves his talent.
Remember, this food show is personally overseen by Deputy Station Chief Zhang Wei, who is the top candidate for the next station chief!
"Haha... you're joking, Director Wu," Yang Qing replied with a smile. "I'm no genius, just a little lucky, that's all."
Indeed, Yang Qing never thought of himself as a genius, and he was telling the truth.
He really was lucky—he had a "cheat," and all these astonishing skills were gifts from it.
Gasp!
At Yang Qing's words, everyone was again struck dumb.
He... he refused!
Even if he didn't know Director Wu's true abilities and influence, he shouldn't have turned him down so easily!
Being an assistant director at the TV station was surely better than selling street food—the future lay in that direction!
Everyone was baffled and shocked, but Director Wu merely smiled with genuine appreciation. "Haha, youth is a wonderful thing. Xiao Yang, I have great faith in you—your future won't be limited to this little shop."
"Thank you for your kind words,"
Yang Qing smiled. "It's almost eight o'clock; the customers should be arriving soon. Director Wu, what do you think?"
Director Wu nodded. "Right, let's start shooting the exterior scenes."
He then looked at Yang Qing again. "Xiao Yang, do you have any suggestions?"
"Well, not really suggestions," Yang Qing said, "but I think besides filming me making the food, we should focus more on the customers.
After all, the food is made for people to eat, so whether it's good or not is best shown through their reactions—it's more direct."
"Good, let's do that," Director Wu agreed, then turned to the crew inside. "Everyone, get ready. The floor managers, make sure you communicate and explain things to the customers!"
"Understood!"
The second round of filming began. As the customers arrived on schedule and lined up, Yang Qing waved to Tan Jin'er.
"Jin'er, we're not selling soup dumplings today, only jianbing. I'll make them—you watch and learn carefully."
"Okay!"