Qin Guan had developed a style of his own. He was the most impressive model that night.
The guests couldn't help but express their appreciation for the visual.
Applause surged towards him from all directions like a tide. Qin Guan's first show in New York was perfect.
He smiled at the audience and turned around to head backstage, where the chief designer of Hollister was, looking overjoyed. If there had been no rules about engaging with the audience, he would have showed off in front of everyone.
Hey dude, that boy will be our model. Please come to our show!
After the CK show, the designer kept talking about Qin Guan everywhere, attracting attention from the residents of the Upper East Side.
As everyone knew, 90% of the attendants would never be interested in such a low-level brand.
Qin Guan got paid 800 dollars backstage. It was not so bad, considering he was a model at the bottom of the circle.
That money could cover his accommodation for a month. For a clerk working at a small company for a 2000-dollar salary, it was enough to lead an ordinary life.
Qin Guan stuffed his outfits back into the box. He was planning on leaving as soon as possible to make room for the female underwear models.
Lisa was smiling at him shyly, but she didn't come over to greet him. Qin Guan didn't speak to her either. It was unrealistic to have an American girl propose to you after saving her.
After getting a notice for the next job, Qin Guan was about to retreat from the cabinet silently. A middle-aged man with a beard was blocking his way though.
"h.e.l.lo, I’m Gus. I’m a director."
"Hi! I’m Qin Guan, a student."
Qin Guan replied politely, but tried to steer clear off the stranger. It was said that there was a special group of people around American models.
They were always middle-aged men with successful careers. People called them bloodthirsty sharks, because they usually targeted young girls.
Is that guy one of them? He should have stayed under the stage, where the girls are searching for hunters.
New York was the beginning of their dreams. All the girls knew how to seize opportunities.
Gus realized that he was being ignored. He grabbed Qin Guan's sleeve eagerly.
"Hey, may I have a word with you?"
Qin Guan stopped reluctantly to spare his poor clothes. "What's the matter?"
"Would you like to be an actor?" His loud voice startled the a.s.sistant standing by the exit. "Let's talk about it downstairs."
Qin Guan blinked. A small person was scattering flowers around in his heart. Is this my lucky star at work? Did I meet a famous director during my first show?
Qin Guan was surprised, but not convinced. He and Gus went to the restaurant on the first floor.
CK had booked the entire Russian tearoom until supper. The empty restaurant was the best place for a private talk.
"Let me tell you about my film... It reflects the angry average American’s lack of education… Two real students… Campus violence... Shooting..."
Qin Guan could tell from the description that it was a film about minorities. It was definitely not a Hollywood production or a formal film company production. Besides, it had to have a limited budget.
Qin Guan raised a few reasonable questions, "May I read the script first? What about the producer? Why did you choose me? As fas as I know, there are lots of professional actors and young men at agencies or schools in New York."
"When shall we begin if I say yes? How long will the shooting last? In which studio will it take place?"
Gus was shocked by Qin Guan’s series of questions. The boy was sitting opposite him, drinking his free lemon water calmly.
He is no greenhand. He’s a veteran!
A waitress in a traditional Russian costume asked them in a low voice if they would be having dinner there. The show had ended. CK would hold a simple dinner for the guests in the restaurant.
"Two standard working lunches. Is that okay for you, Gus?"
Gus wouldn't give up the chance to get more information out of Qin Guan. He was not a polite man, so he just nodded automatically at the waitress.
"It's a film with a limited budget. A NY company will produce it and distribute it. Of course, it's a small company."
"The film’s success will depend on the interpretation of my ideas. I don’t have high hopes though."
"The gross will be quite low, so I can't hire a proper actor. Besides, I’m not a famous director either, so..."