Chapter 18: This Extra is Truly Not Simple

“I understand. I’ll be at the company right away.”

Zhang Yang hung up the phone, skillfully maneuvering the mouse to save his documents on the computer and send them to his secondary email account.

Having completed these tasks, he packed the laptop into his bag, his mind already digesting the two pieces of news Hu Ge had brought him.

Firstly, he was invited to make a guest appearance in Great Masters Abound. Secondly, he was recommended for the role of Zhao Kuangyin, a supporting character in Prestige Imperial Concubine.

Great Masters Abound, also known as Unrivaled - Great Masters Abound, had begun filming in January this year and was now nearing completion. The male lead was played by Hu Ge, the female lead by Tang Yan, the second male lead by Qiu Ze, and the third female lead by Qi Wei.

Tang Yan, Qiu Ze, and Qi Wei’s The Three Daughters of Xia had just finished airing not long ago, and they were currently at the height of their popularity. Thus, the cast lineup for Great Masters Abound was quite impressive.

When this drama first started filming, The Three Daughters of Xia had only just begun broadcasting; otherwise, it would have been much more difficult to gather such talent, let alone significantly more expensive.

Hu Ge inviting Zhang Yang to make a guest appearance in this show was clearly an attempt to help him ride the wave of publicity. Even if Zhang Yang felt it was optional, there was no way he could refuse such good intentions.

Besides, this drama featured many future big-name celebrities. Getting acquainted with them early and expanding his network couldn’t hurt.

Pride and Prejudice Empress, produced by Ziwei Gegge in collaboration with Mango TV, followed a similar formula to Proud Immortal Demon Way. It was a historical drama where all men fell for the female lead—a classic Mary Sue trope.

If this show were to air a few years from now, it would likely bomb miserably, receiving poor reviews on scoring websites. However, when it debuted this year, the reception was overwhelmingly positive. It ranked first in viewership during its timeslot and topped Baidu’s search trends for dramas.

In this series, Zhao Kuangyin played a significant supporting role. A well-crafted performance could steal the spotlight and garner considerable attention.

More importantly, landing this part would earn me a character point!

I’m still in the early stages of accumulation; I can’t get ahead of myself just because I’ve been reborn with cheat abilities.

Although minor, this role has room for growth. After the show airs, I’ll gain some recognition and can use that momentum to reacquaint myself with the production team. When filming for Xuanyuan Sword begins, we’ll have less time needed for everyone to gel.

Plus, there are many actors involved in Pride and Prejudice Empress. This is an excellent opportunity to expand my network within the industry.

With these thoughts solidifying his decision, Zhang Yang felt even more determined to secure the role of Zhao Kuangyin.

Ten minutes later, he returned to his company’s dressing room, dropped off his bag, then headed towards Hu Ge’s private space.

“Huh? Hey, A-Yang! You’re here already?” Hu Ge expressed surprise upon opening the door to find Zhang Yang standing outside.

“I happened to be sipping coffee at a nearby café,” Zhang Yang said with a smile.

“Perfect! Hand over your lines for the scene, and you’ll still make it home in time for dinner.” Hu Ge shifted from lying down to sitting up. He reached for his briefcase on the tea table, opened it, and pulled out a sheet of paper to hand to Zhang Yang.

This so-called guest appearance was essentially a small role as an extra. In a predetermined setting, he’d impersonate someone with a specific status, delivering just a few lines of dialogue.

One page was more than enough!

Skimming through the content quickly, Zhang Yang looked at Hu Ge with newfound respect. “Where did you find this genius? Crafting such a plot where a minor character intersects with five main actors? Impressive, truly impressive.”

Taunt the female lead, force the male lead to confront her and get fired—then accidentally hurt the third female character while trying to retaliate against the male lead, only to be dealt with by the second male.

This was no ordinary extra!

“Indeed, it’s this humble one,” Hu Ge said with a self-satisfied smile.

“I’m impressed! Who knew you had such a wild imagination, old buddy? You must spend all your time online reading those thrilling novels, huh?” Zhang Yang teased.

The plot twist—a villainous supporting character taunting the male lead over the phone, teaching him a lesson; another side character silently plotting revenge but failing to even touch the protagonist before being rebuffed—it was exactly the kind of satisfying “I told you so!” scenario found in popular web novels.

“So, do you want to take on the role or not?” Hu Ge crossed his arms, looking expectantly at Zhang Yang.

“Yes, absolutely yes,” Zhang Yang responded without hesitation.

He took an interest in this minor character. If he could pull off the part convincingly, it might later become a hot topic for publicity stunts—or perhaps even turn into an iconic meme.

After all, memes have a way of catapulting careers, right, my little chicks?

“You’ve certainly given me much to ponder.” Zhang Yang tucked the paper back into his pocket as he turned to Hu Ge. “What’s going on with Zhao Kuangyin’s role in Prestige Imperial Concubine? The production is already halfway through, isn’t it?”

On his way here, he’d checked online to confirm his memory:

Prestige Imperial Concubine had begun filming in January, with an expected wrap-up date in late April or early May.

Before a TV series begins filming, it typically requires several months of preparation—some major productions even take years. Character roles are also part of this planning process and are usually cast well in advance.

While last-minute role changes do happen, they’re rare once shooting has been underway for some time. Such occurrences might stem from studio backdoor deals or actress turf wars, but not often after production has begun.

Unless…

“I don’t know much,” Hu Ge admitted candidly, “just that there was a significant falling out between the original actor playing this role and Lin Zuiwei. Now that she’s enjoying a resurgence in popularity, I hear she’s been acting quite superior around mainland entertainers lately. My guess is the previous actor had a straightforward personality—they must’ve inadvertently crossed her somehow.”

“For more details, you’d have to ask K-sis; she’s the one who secured this role for you. I just happened to need someone for a guest appearance and took on the task of notifying you.”

Zhang Yang nodded thoughtfully at these words.

It wasn’t news that Hong Kong and Taiwan artists felt a sense of superiority when facing their mainland counterparts—even believing themselves to be inherently better. Even though the entertainment industry’s center of gravity was gradually shifting towards the mainland, many Hong Kong and Taiwan stars still clung to past attitudes.

As an early darling of Taiwanese capital investment, Lin Zuiwei was widely recognized as a prime example of this phenomenon.

“Alright then, I’ll go ask K-sis. Don’t want to keep you from your dinner at home.” Zhang Yang barely sat down before he sprang back up.

Hu Ge followed suit, standing as well. “If it were yesterday or earlier, I might’ve tried to shield you from this role. But now… I think you should give it a shot.”

Zhang Yang understood Hu Ge’s meaning. Before yesterday, he had been too straightforward—too “direct”—which often offended people.

When you’re popular, as long as you don’t break the law, you can do whatever you want.

But now, there were times when one needed to be more flexible.

After exchanging a few more words with Hu Ge, Zhang Yang made his way to Cai Yining’s office.

However, upon arrival, he found not Cai Yining but his charming neighbor, Nazha.

She wore a simple light yellow floral dress today, exuding an indescribable freshness and elegance.

As Zhang Yang discreetly took in her appearance, she noticed him and smiled warmly. “Senior Brother, we meet again.”