Chapter 24: Nothing but a Good-for-Nothing

Qin Hongfei said, “If I fix it, will you let my sister play a part in your film?”

The director looked at her. “Your sister is…?”

Qin Hongfei reached out and dragged Qin Fei forward. With such a great opportunity, why was she trying to hide? Qin Hongfei could hardly resist the urge to give her a good shake!

The swelling on Qin Fei’s face hadn’t faded yet, and the director clearly didn’t recognize her. However, he had heard about the loan shark incident. He didn’t seem to care much and said, “Fix it first, then we’ll talk. If you really get it working, not only will I give her a part, but I’ll promise her a role in all my films from now on.” The promise slipped out easily, since he was fairly certain the machine couldn’t be fixed—it had already been patched up fifty or sixty times, all to save money!

With the promise secured, Qin Hongfei paid no mind to the others’ opinions. She walked straight over, turned to the repairman, and said, “Let me borrow your tools.”

The filming equipment was ancient, the motherboard likely replaced countless times. But old machines have their own value—not just monetary, but sentimental, too. The director couldn’t bear to replace it.

Though Qin Hongfei had never fixed this equipment before, as soon as she picked up the tools, she set to dismantling the machine with remarkable initiative. It was an all-in-one device, and after years of use, the motherboard had burned out and some wires had melted. The wiring on the motherboard was a real headache—impossible for a layman to make sense of, and even for professionals, once the lines were fried, if you didn’t know exactly where each wire connected, you were out of luck. And the motherboard was linked to the display screen!

After a quick assessment, Qin Hongfei simply cut off a section of damaged wire, found a new piece, and soldered it in place with an electric welder…

The repairman by her side gaped in surprise. “You can do that?”

The director grew nervous. “What are you doing? Did you break it?”

The repairman replied, “Not exactly… It’s just, well, usually only old pros dare to try something like that. Young lady, is your family in this business?”

Qin Hongfei shook her head. “No, this is my first time fixing something like this, but it’s not hard.”

The director was speechless.

First time? Not hard?

Well, it was broken to begin with, anyway.

He’d already resigned himself to groveling before the actress and begging for forgiveness. But after Qin Hongfei reconnected the wires, she began reassembling the motherboard and the other components, and then switched the machine on…

The machine, once burnt out, suddenly whirred to life with a bright click.

The repairman was astonished. “She really fixed it.”

The director was elated. “A miracle worker!”

He tried it himself and confirmed it—the equipment was working perfectly. A grin broke across his face. “Quick, go notify everyone! Filming resumes!” No need to beg, no need to replace the actress.

Qin Fei, who had been a bundle of nerves moments earlier, finally let out a sigh of relief.

Duo Duo’s smile stiffened. “Looks like a blind cat found a dead mouse.”

Qin Hongfei ignored the snide remarks, focusing only on the director, who was still buzzing with excitement. “Director, you haven’t forgotten your promise, have you?”

The director couldn’t very well admit he’d forgotten such a recent deal—if he did, he’d have to plead old age. Glancing at Qin Fei’s appearance, he asked, “Which school did you graduate from?”

Qin Fei replied awkwardly, “I’m not professionally trained. I only finished junior high.”

The director was silent for a moment. Well, junior high graduate, as long as she can act, that’s all that matters. “Any skills? Dance, perhaps?”

“I don’t know any.”

The director’s smile froze. Suddenly, he wished he could go back on his word! Useless, utterly useless! Even with outstanding direction, if the lead can’t do anything, what’s he supposed to do—use a stand-in for everything? “You really can’t do anything…”

Sensing the director’s difficulty, Qin Hongfei spoke up. “Director, my sister doesn’t have much acting experience either. She had a small background role before, but lost it because of a misunderstanding…”