149: Chapter 149 Lina confronts actors who demand higher fees; props damaged before filming begins.

Lin Chen hung up the phone with Lena, the corners of his mouth curling up unconsciously. He tapped his fingertips on the desk twice, his eyes filled with satisfaction.

"Looking at your expression, did Lena set the start date for filming?" Ella leaned over and asked with a raised eyebrow, still clutching the investment agreement, her inner worries not having completely dissipated.

"Next Monday at ten in the morning, West Hollywood filming location." Lin Chen leaned back in his chair and said indifferently, "Her efficiency is quite high. The actors, venue, and equipment are basically finalized. The funds will arrive tomorrow, just in time for her final preparations."

Jack sat to the side and chimed in with a smile, "I told you Lena is a doer. After struggling in Hollywood for so many years, what she's accumulated isn't just connections, but also solid execution. It hasn't been long, and everything is already sorted out."

"It's faster than I expected." Lin Chen nodded, took out his phone, and sent a message to Lena, telling her the funds would arrive on time tomorrow morning and to communicate any issues at any time. Then he added, "Jack, you keep in close contact with Lena. If anyone in Hollywood intentionally causes trouble, help her settle it."

"Don't worry, Brother Chen. I've already greeted my friends in Hollywood; no one will be bored enough to look for trouble with Lena." Jack immediately agreed, took out his phone, and started contacting Lena to confirm the specific details of the preparations.

Ella looked at the two of them and gave a soft huff, but she also picked up her phone and told Chen Xi to include Lena's preparation progress in their daily follow-ups. While she claimed to be afraid of mistakes, she was actually silently monitoring the progress of the matter.

On the other side, at the West Hollywood filming location, Lena was so busy her feet barely touched the ground. This filming location was an affordable site in Hollywood; it wasn't large, but it was fully equipped. People were coming and going, with lighting technicians, stagehands, and prop masters each busy with their tasks. The camera was mounted in the center of the site, and equipment like reflectors and track dollies were neatly arranged to the side. Clear filming marks were drawn on the ground, creating a scene of bustle everywhere.

Lena was dressed in simple casual clothes, her hair tied back in a loose ponytail. She wore no makeup, but her eyes were sharp as she crouched on the ground checking the details of the props, script in hand, occasionally communicating and adjusting with the prop master.

"The style of this coffee cup is wrong. The script says a 90s vintage style, but yours is too new. It must be replaced by tomorrow." Lena pointed at the coffee cup in the prop master's hand, her tone firm and leaving no room for negotiation. "Also, the ornaments in the office area should fit the life of an ordinary office worker. Don't get those flashy, impractical things. The details must be in place."

The prop master nodded hastily, noting Lena's requirements in a small notebook, and replied repeatedly, "Alright, Miss Lina. I'll go hunt for it tonight and guarantee the props meeting the requirements will be in place tomorrow morning."

Lena stood up, patted the dust off her hands, and walked to the other side of the site to discuss filming angles with the location scout. The script in her hand was dog-eared, every page filled with dense annotations—all details she had pondered over repeatedly.

"For the protagonist's office scenes, we must use a combination of high-angle and eye-level shots to highlight the cramped and oppressive nature of the office, fitting his situation as an office worker. The sense of cinematography in this part is very important and cannot be neglected." Lena explained carefully to the location scout, speaking very fast but with clear logic, every requirement being precise and on point.

The location scout nodded while listening and couldn't help but admire, "Miss Lina, your understanding of the script is too thorough. We wouldn't have thought of these details at all. With you watching over it, this play will definitely be great."

"Details determine success or failure, especially for a comedy that's so close to life. If even a little bit isn't authentic, the audience will be able to tell." Lena said indifferently, her eyes full of seriousness. "I've polished this script for a year; it cannot be ruined by details."

Just then, a male actor walked up to Lena with a hint of arrogance, chin tilted up as he said, "Lena, I've thought about it. My salary needs to be increased by another fifty thousand, otherwise, I won't act in this play. Without an experienced actor like me, you definitely won't get the right results."

This actor was the second male lead Lena had previously cast. Originally, the negotiated salary wasn't high, but seeing that Lena's funding was in place and the filming preparations were going smoothly, he wanted to hike the price on the spot, thinking Lena couldn't do without him.

Hearing this, Lena's face instantly darkened. She looked up at the male actor, her gaze cold. "The contract we signed before clearly stated the salary. What do you mean by hiking the price now?"

"What do I mean? I just think the money you're giving is too little." The male actor sneered. "Although this play is invested in by Chenxing Investment, it's still a small budget after all. My willingness to act is already giving you face. Fifty thousand isn't much. If you don't agree, I'll leave now and see where you can find a suitable actor."

The surrounding staff all looked over, and the site instantly became much quieter. Some people looked worried, thinking that if this male actor suddenly quit, it would delay the filming progress.

Lena, however, didn't panic at all. She stared at the male actor for a few seconds and let out a cold laugh. "My play is indeed a small budget, but it also has no room for an untrustworthy person like you. The contract clearly states that if you unilaterally breach it, you must pay liquidated damages. Now, you either act at the original salary or get out immediately. I'm not short of actors here."

As she spoke, she took out her phone and dialed another male actor's number on the spot, getting straight to the point, "Hello, Tom. Do you want the role of the second male lead? The salary will be as previously discussed, and you can join the crew tomorrow."

Tom on the other end of the phone immediately agreed, his tone exceptionally excited, "Yes! Of course! Miss Lina, I'll be there on time tomorrow morning!"

Lena hung up the phone, looked at the pale-faced male actor, and said indifferently, "See? You're not indispensable. Take your things and leave quickly."

The male actor hadn't expected Lena to be so decisive. His face turned various shades of red and white. He wanted to say something, but was pushed back by Lena's cold gaze. In the end, he could only leave dejectedly with his things, not even daring to mention the liquidated damages.

The surrounding staff immediately broke into low cheers, all thinking Lena had done a great job, and their respect for her grew.

"Keep working, don't let this small matter delay progress." Lena said to everyone, then threw herself back into the preparation work as if what had just happened was merely an insignificant trifle.

From that day on, Lena devoted herself entirely to the preparations. She arrived at the filming location before dawn every day and left late at night, personally controlling every detail. Every night, she would send a detailed progress report to Lin Chen, from actor rehearsals to prop preparation to the filming process, every item written clearly without the slightest laxity.

Lin Chen would occasionally reply with a few sentences after receiving Lena's reports, giving some simple suggestions, such as adding a bit of warmth to the comedy's punchlines to better resonate with the audience. Otherwise, he didn't interfere much, fully trusting Lena's professional ability.

Ella would occasionally flip through the progress reports Lena sent to Lin Chen. Seeing those detailed points and Lena's arrangements, her brow gradually smoothed, and her doubts vanished bit by bit, replaced by approval.

That day, Ella chatted with Lin Chen about the filming preparations and couldn't help but say, "I didn't expect this Lena to actually have some skill. Not only is she decisive, but she's also so meticulous, even nitpicking the style of a coffee cup. She's much more reliable than I expected."

Lin Chen smiled and said, "Someone who can polish a script for a year and not give up after being rejected by countless investment firms won't be bad. What she lacked was just an opportunity. Now that the opportunity has come, she will naturally give it her all."

"That's true. It seems this investment really has the potential to make big money." Ella nodded, the weight in her heart finally lifted.

Jack also added from the side, "Everything is going smoothly on Lena's side. The actors are gelling well, and the props and venue are all ready, just waiting for filming to start next Monday. I even went to the site yesterday to take a look; that level of seriousness is better than many directors of big productions."

They all thought the filming preparations would go smoothly until the start, but no one noticed that not far from the filming location, a black sedan would park in the corner every day. The person in the car took photos, secretly recording everything at the filming location, and reported every day's preparation progress to John without missing a word.

When John learned that Lena's preparations were going smoothly, his face darkened enough to drip water. He gripped the report in his hand and said coldly, "Lin Chen wants to make a comeback with a small-budget comedy? It's not that easy. Go do something to make sure his play can't start filming."

The subordinate immediately agreed and went to make arrangements. A sinister hand targeting the filming props quietly approached.

In the blink of an eye, it was the day before filming started. Lena worked until late at night, thinking of checking all the props one last time to ensure everything was foolproof for tomorrow's start. She walked to the prop storage area, turned on the light, and saw at a glance that the neatly arranged props had been smashed to pieces. The body of the vintage telephone was split in two, the legs of the office desks and chairs were sawn off, and even the costumes for filming were slashed to shreds. All the core props had been intentionally damaged.

The day before filming started, the props were damaged.