Chapter 37: Mr. Vampire is about to start filming; Yu Youde is in tears.

Beyond Uncle Nine, the main characters of "Mr. Vampire" include his two disciples, Qiusheng and Wencai, who are pivotal roles. Of course, there is also the security captain, A-Wei, a character who was incredibly iconic in the original version.

Regarding these roles, there is no need to elaborate on Uncle Ying, but Chen Mo had long since chosen someone for the role of Wencai: Huang Bo, who had not yet truly broken out because Director Ning Hao’s "Crazy Stone" was delayed by a few years. If it were the Huang Bo of the future—a ten-billion-yuan box office king—it would be impossible to invite him for an internet movie like "Mr. Vampire," but at this moment, there were no obstacles. Indeed, Chen Mo made just one phone call to Ning Hao, and Huang Bo agreed immediately. The reason for choosing Huang Bo was simple: in the film, Wencai is the designated "fall guy."

As for the major supporting character of Security Captain A-Wei, originally played by Billy Lau, Chen Mo cast Wang Xun, who played the "four-eyed secretary" in "Crazy Stone," a choice Chen Mo made the moment he saw him.

For the other disciple, Qiusheng, Chen Mo had two options: his senior from the Beijing Film Academy, Zhu Yawen, or Lei Jiayin, a graduate of the Shanghai Theatre Academy. Of course, these were merely expressions of interest; Chen Mo could not guarantee whether they would be willing to work on an internet movie. After all, while Lei Jiayin was a more flexible option, Zhu Yawen had already made a name for himself in 2008 with the role of Zhu Chuanwu in "Chuang Guandong" and had been named one of the "Top Ten Tough Guys on Screen." Whether he would deign to take the role was uncertain. However, regardless of the platform, it was still a movie, and an internet movie is a movie nonetheless.

Chen Mo first approached Zhu Yawen, as he was a fellow alumnus of the Beijing Film Academy. Unfortunately, it wasn't that he didn't want the role, but rather that his schedule was full; he was currently filming a drama as the lead. Things went more smoothly with Lei Jiayin, who accepted the invitation quickly. One has to admit, Lei Jiayin’s head is truly massive—its circumference is about the same size as a young girl’s waist. Looking at Lei, whose head was noticeably larger than those around him, Chen Mo couldn't help but sigh to himself. His production was becoming a gathering of legends: Huang Bo, the future actor who would self-deprecatingly call himself the "ugliest movie star," alongside the future movie star with the biggest head, Lei Jiayin. Thinking of this, Chen Mo couldn't help but laugh.

When Chen Mo suddenly chuckled, Lei Jiayin looked a bit awkward. Realizing he had been impolite, Chen Mo quickly said, "Apologies, I was just thinking about something."

"It's alright, Director Chen. My head is indeed bigger than the average person's," Lei replied, appearing unfazed.

"There are some things I need to clarify first. My film is a bit unique; it is an internet movie," Chen Mo said, getting down to business.

"An internet movie?" Lei Jiayin asked, puzzled.

"It is a film released exclusively online. It’s a spiritual comedy, or more precisely, a zombie film," Chen Mo explained.

"A zombie film? A spiritual comedy? Can that even be released?" Lei was surprised.

"The requirements for internet movies are a bit more relaxed, so it shouldn't be a problem." Chen Mo was quite confident about this. Internet movies are broadcast online, and there were countless works on video platforms that were more extreme or supernatural than "Mr. Vampire." While they weren't "internet movies" per se, they were still broadcast online. With the backing of the three most powerful video platforms and the fact that internet movies were an emerging frontier, he felt secure.

"Then I have no problem with it. However, what role would I be playing? A zombie?" he asked curiously.

"No, you’ll be playing Qiusheng, the eldest disciple of the Taoist priest," Chen Mo said, shaking his head. Did he really want to play the zombie with the biggest head?

"I'm fine with that. But may I see the script first?" Lei remained cautious. Chen Mo had no objections. After reading the brief summary of the story, Lei indicated his willingness to take the role.

With Lei Jiayin confirmed, the lead and supporting cast were set, and the rest of the roles were less demanding. Pre-production for "Mr. Vampire" began in earnest. The involvement of Uncle Ying saved Chen Mo a great deal of work. Not only did he bring his own stunt team, but Chen Mo also appointed him as an assistant director. This wasn't because Chen Mo was reckless or trying to exploit an elder; it was because Uncle Ying genuinely possessed the expertise, and having spent so many years in the industry, he was far more experienced than Chen Mo in many regards. Uncle Ying wore many hats on this production, primarily as an actor and action choreographer.

Preparation went smoothly. Having watched Uncle Ying's zombie films countless times in his past life to prepare for his own internet movies, Chen Mo remembered every detail vividly. For the famous "dragonfly skim" burial site, Chen Mo kept it within the family, choosing a feng shui treasure spot found by his third great-uncle. Other scenes were filmed in a small village in his hometown, which still retained many old buildings that only required minor repairs to be usable. For the streets of the Republic of China era, however, they had to film at a movie studio.

As for the coffins and funeral props, Chen Mo’s family was in that business, so they didn't need to commission anything; everything was readily available. He only needed to rent a batch of Qing Dynasty and Republican-era costumes. One shouldn't underestimate those funeral items; if his family hadn't been in the trade, it would have been a massive hassle and a waste of money. Consequently, the early preparations for "Mr. Vampire" were exceptionally smooth, and the project was soon ready to begin filming.

Since it was an internet movie and not for theatrical release, there was no rush for publicity. They would simply have the three video platforms handle the promotion when the time came.

However, Chen Mo was curious about the progress of "Watch the Meteor Shower Together" and Yu Youde. Previously, Zeng Qingpeng, the vice president of EE-Media, had mentioned that the rival might buy copyrights from Japan to turn things around, and Chen Mo had been waiting for the show to launch.

What Chen Mo didn't know was that Yu Youde was at his wit's end. He had gritted his teeth and agreed to the terms set by Shueisha, but just as he was about to sign the contract, the lawyers suddenly halted the licensing deal. When Yu Youde found out why, he nearly wept. He had been prepared for a massive financial loss just to secure the rights, hoping that even if he lost money this time, having the license would allow him to recoup it later and solve his immediate problems.

But what was the result? They told him they couldn't sell it because their existing licensing contract with South Korea contained an exclusivity clause. It wasn't that Shueisha didn't want the money; they simply couldn't sell it. Yu Youde was stunned. Although the other party apologized and suggested that if he didn't advertise it as an adaptation of "Boys Over Flowers," they would turn a blind eye, this was useless to him. Shueisha not pursuing him legally meant nothing if the show couldn't be legally cleared. He truly broke down, reflecting on his recent misfortunes.

Chen Mo was naturally unaware of this. At most, he was just watching the chaos for fun. He had already snatched the biggest piece of the pie, and since the second round of "Meteor Shower" was almost finished, the release of the rival show wouldn't affect him in the slightest.