161: Chapter 161 Free Venue? This is called Resource Exchange

Beijing Suburbs.

Hongxing Middle School.

This was an old campus with fifty years of history.

With the expansion of the city and the establishment of new campuses, most of this place had been abandoned.

All that remained were the elderly gatekeeper and a few school buildings covered in ivy, lingering on in the sunset.

Screech...

Following a piercing sound of brakes.

That dilapidated bus full of "Abnormals" stopped at the rust-stained school gate.

The door opened.

A foot stepped out first.

Wearing limited-edition high-end custom tactical boots.

Splosh!

The foot stepped without hesitation into a puddle of unknown liquid, splashing muddy water everywhere.

Immediately after.

Zhao Xiaoxiao, wearing sunglasses and chewing gum, jumped down like a female bandit.

She glanced at the muddy water beneath her feet; instead of being disgusted, she stomped twice with force to scrape the mud off her soles.

"Comfortable!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao stretched, her joints cracking: "Wearing high heels and fake smiling every day, my feet were almost ruined.

The feeling of stepping on the ground is much more solid!"

Following her.

Qian Duoduo, Sun Yan, and other members of Class F hopped off the bus one after another.

These girls, who had once practiced military posture in the mud and gone on forced marches in the pouring rain, showed no fear at the sight of the dilapidated scene; instead, their eyes lit up one by one.

"This place isn't bad!"

Qian Duoduo pointed at the half-collapsed wall: "Good for rock climbing practice."

"True."

Sun Yan looked at the weeds on the playground that were taller than a person: "That's a good spot for practicing stealth."

Only the "Grease King" Yin Hua at the back covered his nose, lifting his trouser legs with an Orchid Finger in disgust: "Oh my, what is this place... it's so dirty... why does it smell so musty..."

Before he could finish.

Zhao Xiaoxiao shot him a disdainful look: "Stop being so dramatic, don't let the bugs scare you into wetting your pants later."

Yin Hua: "..."

Crude!

Too crude!

Is this still that girl group?

Su Zhe was the last to get off the bus.

He took off his sunglasses and looked around.

In his eyes.

These dilapidated scenes were automatically filtered into movie frames.

The mottled walls represented the texture of time.

The wildly growing weeds represented the absurdity of youth.

Isn't this the perfect filming location for goodbye mr. loser?

No need to artificially age anything!

It's all authentic!

"What a great place."

Su Zhe lamented: "What do you call this?

This is called ecological!

This is called the accumulation of history!

And..."

He lowered his voice, muttering in a tone only he could hear: "Most importantly, it's cheap."

Just then.

A middle-aged man with graying hair, wearing a Mao suit and holding a stainless steel thermos, slowly walked out of the guardroom.

He froze for a moment as he looked at these young people who, despite being fashionably dressed, stood tall and had sharp gazes.

This aura...

They didn't look like they were here to film a movie, but rather like they were here for a demolition.

"Are you that... Starry Sky Film Crew?"

The man's tone wasn't very friendly.

He clearly didn't have much of a favorable impression of these "actors."

Su Zhe immediately put on a smile and quickly walked up to greet him: "Principal Wang! I've heard so much about you!

I'm the director, Su Zhe.

We spoke on the phone before."

Principal Wang waved his hand and pointed at the dilapidated campus: "Director Su, right?

Let's get the unpleasantries out of the way first.

Although this school is almost abandoned, it is still public property.

If you want to use it, fine.

Rent is ten thousand a day, and you pay for your own utilities.

Also, no damaging public property, no graffiti on the walls.

Once damage is found, you will compensate at market price!"

Hearing "ten thousand a day."

Su Zhe's heart twitched.

Ten thousand a day?

That's three hundred thousand a month!

This broken place doesn't even have a decent toilet, and he dares to ask for three hundred thousand?

This is robbery!

Sister Liu, who was behind him, was about to step forward to bargain.

But she was stopped by Su Zhe.

The smile on Su Zhe's face didn't disappear; instead, it became even more brilliant, even carrying a hint of a compassionate, sacred aura.

"Principal Wang, talking about money hurts our feelings."

Principal Wang: ???

Do we have feelings?

Su Zhe sighed and pointed at the rows of dilapidated classrooms: "I heard that this place is about to be demolished?"

Principal Wang's eyes dimmed as he nodded: "Yes.

The documents are already out.

Construction starts at the end of the year to build a commercial district.

This school... has come to the end of its road."

He had been the principal of this school for twenty years, watching batch after batch of children leave. Now that even the school was going to be gone, he naturally felt bad.

Su Zhe keenly captured the principal's emotional fluctuations.

Winning hearts is the best strategy!

"What a pity."

Su Zhe's tone was heavy: "A fifty-year-old school that carried the youth of so many people.

Once the excavators arrive and the bulldozers push, everything here will turn to dust.

In the future, who will remember that there was once a Hongxing Middle School here?

Who will remember the clear sound of reading here?"

Principal Wang's eyes turned a bit red from the words. He took a sip of water to hide his embarrassment: "What can be done? Times are changing..."

"No! There is a way!"

Su Zhe suddenly raised his volume, his eyes staring at the principal with intensity: "Principal Wang, I'm not making this movie to make money!

I'm doing it to record!

I'm doing it to preserve this memory of youth forever!

Think about it.

If this school appears on the big screen.

If tens of millions, or even hundreds of millions of viewers see this school.

Then it hasn't disappeared!

It will achieve immortality in another way!

This isn't just a movie.

This is—a promotional film for Hongxing Middle School's anniversary!"

Principal Wang was stunned.

He even forgot to put the lid back on his thermos.

Anniversary... promotional film?

The level of this was suddenly elevated!

Putting the school on the big screen?

Achieving immortality?

It sounds... quite reasonable, and very tempting!

"But..."

Principal Wang hesitated: "The school is too broken now, the doors and windows are all damaged. Will it look good on film?"

"You don't need to worry about that!"

Su Zhe patted his chest and guaranteed: "Our crew is best at—renovation!

To tell you the truth, besides being a director, I'm also an amateur... ancient building restoration expert.

Lend the school to me for two months.

Not only will I not damage public property.

I will also help you repair these doors, windows, desks, chairs, and even the main gate, making them look brand new!

By the time the movie is finished, this place won't have turned into a ruin; instead, it will become—'Charlotte Middle School'!

At that time, it will be a popular spot for social media check-ins.

Even if it's demolished later, this will be the most brilliant chapter in its history!"

Su Zhe became more excited as he spoke, as if he already saw the future of Hongxing Middle School crowded with people. "See, I help you repair the school, help you with publicity, and help you preserve memories.

This is a typical—resource exchange!

It's a win-win, Principal Wang!

For such a good thing, if you still talk to me about money...

That would be too vulgar!

That would be a desecration of art and an insult to educational sentiment!"

Principal Wang was left dizzy by Su Zhe's series of moves.

Thinking it over carefully.

Not only do they repair the school for free, but it also gets in a movie and leaves a legacy for generations...

If he still wanted money, it would indeed seem like he didn't know how to appreciate a good thing.

"Alright!"

Principal Wang was also a straightforward person. He slapped his thigh: "Director Su, you're right!

For the sentiment, for Hongxing Middle School!

I'll lend you the venue!

Not a single cent!

Even..."

Principal Wang pointed to the cafeteria in the back: "Although the school cafeteria has stopped operating, the pots and pans are all there. I'll lend them to you as well.

As long as you don't blow up the kitchen."

Su Zhe was overjoyed.

How was this a win-win?

This was clearly him winning twice!

Even the place to cook was settled!

"Principal Wang is magnanimous! Principal Wang is noble!"

Su Zhe tightly shook Principal Wang's hand as if he were a long-lost brother.

...

After seeing off the happy Principal Wang.

Su Zhe turned around.

He looked at the group of crew members behind him who were still in a state of daze.

"What are you looking at?"

Su Zhe clapped his hands, bringing everyone's thoughts back. "We have the venue.

But as you've seen, this place is indeed a bit... too 'battle-damaged' style right now.

This doesn't fit the tone of our youth campus movie.

So..."

Su Zhe dragged out several huge red-and-blue woven bags from the luggage compartment of the bus.

The zippers were pulled open.

Inside, it wasn't photography equipment.

Instead, it was...

Work clothes, safety helmets, brushes, shovels, and even cement trowels!

"Yin Hua! Stop daydreaming!"

Su Zhe picked up a yellow safety helmet and skillfully placed it on Yin Hua's meticulously styled long hair.

Then he showed a row of neat white teeth: "All hands, listen to my orders!

Men, change into work clothes; women, put on gloves!

Before we start filming, we will first carry out our first collective activity—a total renovation!"

Yin Hua looked at the shovel in his hand, his face full of collapse: "I'm here to play the second male lead, not to be a bricklayer!"

However.

The scene on the other side was completely different.

"Finally, some work!"

Zhao Xiaoxiao snatched a pair of gloves, put them on skillfully, and her eyes actually showed a hint of excitement: "Sisters, grab the tools!

Filming those stupid commercials made my bones soft; it's the perfect time to stretch my muscles.

Iron Bull, carry that bag of cement over to me.

Sun Yan, go clear the weeds over there.

Let's show Director Su what we can do!"

Looking at the top-tier girl group that instantly transformed into a "female demolition team."

Sister Liu silently took out her phone and snapped a photo.

In the photo.

Zhao Xiaoxiao, the most popular center idol on the internet, was carrying a bag of cement, smiling like a two-hundred-pound child.

Sister Liu sighed: "It's over. If this gets out, the aesthetics of the Chinese Entertainment Industry will be led astray by Su Zhe again."