Chapter 14: Congratulations, Mr. Chen, on Landing the Position of Assistant Director

Li Bin did not say much, only remarking, "We'll talk once you've actually shot the series."

Chen Mo was instantly overjoyed. As expected, there were few simple characters among those who could become professors at the Beijing Film Academy.

"Fine, I'll take the job. By the way, how far along is the preparation for this series?" Ning Hao asked.

Now it was Chen Mo’s turn to feel awkward. "Well, aside from the funding, the script, the director, and the assistant director, nothing else has been decided yet," Chen Mo admitted.

Ning Hao was left stunned. He looked at Chen Mo, then at Li Bin, feeling as if he had been set up.

"You’ve got to be kidding me... so you were just waiting for me to walk into this?" Ning Hao felt like crying.

"Look, Brother Ning, you’re planning to make a movie anyway, right? You’ll need to do the prep work eventually. Why not just get it all set up now? Once I'm done with it, you can take the whole team and use it for your film. Isn't that great? You can even use this series to warm up," Chen Mo said with a brazen grin.

"Is that even the same thing? I’m making a movie, and you’re making an idol drama—those are two completely different beasts!" Ning Hao retorted, sounding exasperated.

"Surely there’s some overlap?" Chen Mo persisted, completely shameless.

"Fine, but let’s get this straight: I’ll be your assistant director, and once you finish, you have to invest at least five million into my film!" Ning Hao gritted his teeth and declared.

"Is five million enough?" When it came to money, Chen Mo was actually delighted, and he asked as a follow-up.

"Of course it's not enough, but do you think I've just been playing around all these years?" Ning Hao snapped.

"Deal, then?" Chen Mo reached out his hand.

"Slap!" Ning Hao reluctantly high-fived him.

"It’s a deal! I’m going back to round up the crew—hurry it up!" Ning Hao said, already preparing to bolt.

"Don't be so fast, Brother Ning. What about the actors..." Chen Mo pressed on, seizing the opportunity.

"Go to hell, Chen Mo! You’re the director, and I’m just the assistant director. Isn't it enough that I’m building your production team? Now you want me to handle this and that too? Have some decency!" Ning Hao raved. What kind of person was this? If it weren't for his burning desire to finally shoot the film he had dreamed of, he would never have taken on such a headache-inducing job.

Ultimately, Director Ning fled, fearing that if he stayed any longer, Chen Mo would dump the entire production on him.

"Tsk, tsk, Brother Ning really is impatient," Chen Mo remarked after Ning Hao left without even grabbing a bite to eat.

Li Bin looked at him with a sense of unfamiliarity. "When did you become so thick-skinned?"

"Well, those who can do more should work more. It’s not like I’m not paying him," Chen Mo said, thinking nothing of it.

"Enough, don't push him too hard. If he manages to take over, you’ll be the one crying later," Li Bin shook his head.

"Brother Ning looks down on idol dramas, hehe," Chen Mo dismissed the concern.

"That’s true! But, do you have candidates for the actors?" Li Bin didn't dwell on Ning Hao, shifting the topic instead.

"What’s hard about that? The four male leads are easy to pick—just find four handsome guys with different styles. I don't even have high requirements for their acting skills. The female lead, however, is a bit tricky." Speaking of the cast, Chen Mo had always been baffled by the choices in previous versions of the show. With so many handsome actors in the entertainment industry, why pick such obscure ones?

Still, one had to admit, the female lead in this story needed careful selection. She was a "Cinderella" type—she needed to have a grounded, girl-next-door quality, but couldn't be too rustic. She shouldn't be a beauty that strikes you instantly, but rather someone whose charm grows on you, and she had to be capable of a stunning transformation.

Of the two versions of *Meteor Garden*, the mainland version actually had a better handle on the female lead. Suddenly, a candidate came to mind. As it happened, she had worked with the original host before, and she hadn't truly hit it big yet.

Chen Mo pulled out his phone and made the call.

"Chen Mo?" A crisp voice came from the other end.

"Zhao Xiaodao? Are you busy?" Chen Mo asked.

"Not as busy as you. You’re really something else—but you did a great job, hehe." Her voice dropped to a whisper toward the end, likely afraid of being overheard.

"Here’s the thing: I have a role, and I was wondering if you’re interested?" Chen Mo said directly. Their relationship was decent, though they had only worked together once.

"What role? Whose project is it?" Zhao Xiaodao asked, sounding intrigued.

"The female lead. Whose project? My project!" Chen Mo replied.

"Your project? What do you mean?" Zhao Xiaodao sounded confused.

"Exactly what it sounds like. I’m the investor, the screenwriter, and the director! Isn't that my project?"

There was a silence on the other end for a few seconds. "Are you sure?"

"Sure. The funding is sufficient, the script is ready, and it’s a remake. Interested?"

"Let's meet up and talk," Zhao Xiaodao said.

After setting a time and place, they hung up.

In the following days, the preparation for Chen Mo’s first production proceeded in an orderly fashion. One had to admit, even though this future great director hadn't truly made his mark in this world yet, he already displayed remarkable organizational skills. From scratch, in less than a week, he had assembled the behind-the-scenes crew, including the cinematographer, lighting team, script supervisor, makeup artists, and more. The production team began to take shape.

Meanwhile, upon learning that Chen Mo’s project was a remake of the famous *Meteor Garden* and that the assistant director was Ning Hao, a director who had already won awards for his independent films, Zhao Xiaodao decided to take the role. Of course, the fact that it was the lead role played a big part. At this stage, while Zhao Xiaodao had acted in many shows, they were all supporting roles; she hadn't truly risen to fame. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the director was a newcomer like Chen Mo, this would have been considered a top-tier project.

As for the other actors, Chen Mo stuck to his "cost-effective" principle, finding talent through his alma mater and Li Bin's connections. Since the main events of *Meteor Garden* took place on a campus, this actually worked out quite well.

Just like that, after a little over half a month of preparation, the idol drama—which Chen Mo mischievously named *Watching the Meteor Shower Together*, a title only one character different from Yu Youde’s movie—officially announced that pre-production was complete. Everything was ready; they were only waiting for the wind.

It must be said that it pays to have connections. Many of the supporting actors were veteran performers invited through Li Bin’s introductions. With the help of his senior Ning Hao, who was a graduate of the directing department, Chen Mo found things surprisingly easy.

And then there was the "little rich girl." She was undoubtedly his greatest help. Not only did she provide the funds, but she also helped him secure several luxury cars and a villa for filming.

And so, before the first major online defamation lawsuit had even gone to court, *Watching the Meteor Shower Together* officially began filming. To avoid premature exposure, there was no opening ceremony or press conference; they simply started quietly.