Chapter 10: Doucai Cup
Ouyang Ouyang's face flushed red, a mix of shame and frustration twisting his expression. His secret had been exposed.
Xu Youyou looked him in the eye."You sneak into open lectures at the Shanghai Film and Television Academy, hang around during public classes, and study film on your own. Why? Is chasing your dream something to be ashamed of?"
Ouyang clenched his fists. He had never thought his dream was shameful. The real shame was how little he believed in himself.
A middle school graduate, without any formal training, scraping by in low-end jobs, saving for years just to open a modest store—and now, facing bankruptcy. A person like him, from the bottom rungs of society, daring to dream of becoming a director... it did feel laughable sometimes. Even to him.
Xu Youyou pulled a script from her bag and laid it on the table."If your dream is something to be ashamed of," she said quietly, "then maybe I misjudged you." She stood to leave.
"I'll do it," Ouyang blurted out, as if the courage had surged up all at once. "I'll give it a try."
Xu Youyou smiled slightly, sat down again, and slid the script toward him.
He didn't open it right away. Instead, he asked, "How did you even find out about me?"
Xu Youyou remained calm. "People notice more than you think. Maybe you don't believe in yourself, but someone out there believes in your potential."
Several faces flashed through Ouyang's mind—teachers at the Film and Television Academy. He remembered how, after lectures, he'd hang back and pretend to be a student, asking questions. Could it be… one of them recommended him?
His chest tightened, like something soft and heavy had lodged itself in his heart.
"I'm planning to shoot a short drama," Xu Youyou explained. "Fast pace, vertical format. Each episode under ten minutes."
Ouyang thought of the viral short-form videos dominating social media lately. He hesitated. "But… that kind of stuff isn't exactly mainstream."
"I'm not chasing the mainstream," Xu Youyou said flatly. "I'm chasing profit."
Ouyang wanted to protest—he had artistic ideals, after all—but she quickly dangled a bigger vision in front of him."If you do well on this, we'll move on to a full TV series. Maybe even a movie."
It wasn't a hard choice. No one else had ever given him a real shot. Without even asking about salary, he nodded."I'll close the shop now and start assembling the team."
"At the moment," Xu Youyou said, "the team is just you and the male lead. If you know reliable people, bring them in for interviews."
That caught him off guard—but only briefly. Names and faces came to mind instantly."I know a few college students—photographers, producers. And I've got some ideas for locations."
Three years of lurking at the Film and Television Academy had earned him more than knowledge—it earned him connections.
"Good," Xu Youyou nodded. "Make a list of the equipment you'll need. I'll handle the purchasing."
That surprised him. "Wait… we don't have any equipment?"
"I registered the company three days ago," she replied with zero shame. "I don't even have an office yet."
Ouyang stared at her, speechless. If he wasn't holding the script in his hand, he might've thought he'd walked into a scam.
While he began making calls, Xu Youyou drafted a simple contract.
"Sign this first," she said, handing it over.
His eyes went straight to the salary: 100,000 yuan.
He was stunned. Most short dramas wrapped in under ten days. First-time directors usually earned next to nothing—sometimes just 10,000 yuan for dozens of episodes.
But this? This was real money. Enough to change his life. To Xu Youyou, it might be just a handbag's worth. But to Ouyang Ouyang… she might as well have been a living Bodhisattva.
"I need the team formed within three days," Xu Youyou said as she stood. "Sooner, if possible."
After she left, Ouyang immediately flipped the sign on his shop to "Closed," sat down, and began reading the script. The more he read, the more excited he got. It had everything—fast pacing, emotional hooks, internet-ready twists. If done right, this would definitely go viral.
Just then, the door burst open. A group of college guys walked in.
"Ouyang! You weren't kidding?" Wang Yifan asked. "There's really a crew that wants me as a photographer?"
"You'd better not be lying, man," said Cheng Shilei. "Who's gonna pay us to practice otherwise?"
Ouyang grinned and handed them contracts. "Would I forget my brothers? Some rich lady came in today—decked out in jewelry, had a driver, too. Said she wants to shoot a short drama. Let's do something big!"
They looked over the contracts, eyes sparkling with disbelief and hope.
"Ouyang! You really scored a rich backer! We're counting on you, man!"
Despite being the dreamer of the group, Ouyang had always been the one to look out for everyone. And now, he was being professional too—he got permission from Xu Youyou to set salaries for the crew, had them sign contracts, and made sure everyone read the script carefully.
Xu Youyou had intended to stick around and meet the new recruits, but her system suddenly flashed with two alerts:
[Congratulations! Task complete: "Snatch the Opportunity." Reward: Complete short drama filming equipment set.]
Her eyes lit up. System rewards were always top-tier—this would save a ton of time and money.
Then came a second notification:
[New Task: "Pick Up Another Bargain."]
Right on cue.
She was currently sitting in the passenger seat of Xu Fang's car."Drive around the city," she instructed. "I need to make a stop."
Eventually, they reached a spot where the car couldn't go any further.
"Antique Street," Xu Youyou said.
She turned to Xu Fang. "Wait here. And while you're at it, look up car models for me. Something safe and secure. I can't keep using your car forever."
After all, she had a personal driver now. It wouldn't do to make him supply the car too.
As soon as she stepped into the antique market, she caught the eye of several stall owners.
Young. Pretty. Obviously new here.
To them, she looked like an easy target.
"Hey there, little miss," said a man with triangle-shaped eyes, grinning. "Looking for something special? Everything I sell is genuine! You could pass it down as a family heirloom!"
"Genuine?" scoffed the stall owner next to him. "Don't listen to this fraud. Come to my stall instead—just yesterday some guy bought a coin off me for cheap and flipped it for 50 grand!"
Xu Youyou watched the two argue and immediately knew what kind of people they were—swindlers preying on the gullible. Real treasures didn't need loud sales pitches.
Still, she played along.
She approached the man with triangle eyes and picked up a cricket jar, inspecting it casually.
"You've got a good eye!" he said, laughing. "That jar belonged to Prince Yi—15th generation—of the Qing Dynasty!"
Xu Youyou looked at him, unimpressed."Prince Yi's 15th generation? Are you saying he was my age?"
The man chuckled awkwardly. "Ah… I see you're an expert."
She then picked up a small bowl-shaped cup—about the size of a wine glass. It looked far too new to be anything antique, but its shape caught her attention.
"How much for this cup?" she asked.
The man's face lit up. "You've found the real treasure of my stall! This is a Chenghua Doucai Cup! One just like it sold for 280 million yuan at auction. I'll give it to you for a million. Total bargain."
Xu Youyou raised an eyebrow.
A million? For something that looked like it came out of a factory last week?
She smiled faintly.
Looks like the bargain task had just begun.