"Hah’Er, in a moment, you’ll walk in through this doorway, then look back. Your expression should be a little surprised, with a hint of confusion." Shen Yibin sat in the van, explaining the scene to Hah’Er. Meanwhile, Charlotte and the other three stood under the hot sun, waiting for Hah’Er to make his entrance and ready to start filming.
"Alright, first scene of the day, get ready! Actor in position! Camera, follow him! Lights, sound..." Director Kong issued his commands with an air of authority. The crew members sprang into action according to his instructions. Shen Yibin led Hah’Er out of the van and toward the designated spot. Charlotte and the others immediately tensed up.
"I heard this is a superhero movie, so there must be dangerous stunts, right? That is absolutely not allowed," Narcissus said, her eyes glued to the set. In reality, she had nothing to worry about. The action sequences the martial arts choreographer designed for Hah’Er were mostly for comedic effect and weren’t dangerous at all. Even without their supervision, neither Director Kong nor Shen Yibin would dare let Hah’Er take any risks.
Back in Yunzhong City, Hah’Er had already developed great chemistry with Fang Yuanshan and Murong Li. After spending two days in Shanghai getting back in sync, they had returned to their previous form. So, with little trouble, the shot was completed successfully. Assistants rushed forward to hand the actors towels and water. Shen Yibin also grabbed a towel, ready to wipe Hah’Er down.
But before he could even take a step, Narcissus dashed forward, crouched down in front of Hah’Er, and took out her own handkerchief to wipe away nonexistent sweat and dust. She kept muttering something, seemingly concerned about Hah’Er’s condition.
’Huh, someone beat me to it. I have to admit, as long as they aren’t trying to stop the movie, these people are actually pretty cute.’ Hah’Er, however, didn’t seem to appreciate their kind gesture. He trotted over to Shen Yibin on his short little legs, hugged his leg, and looked up with a goofy grin, as if to say, ’I did a great job just now, didn’t I? Praise me, quick!’
"Yes, you did a great job. Here’s an ice cream bar as a reward!" Although the current temperature wouldn’t affect Hah’Er’s health, filming under the hot sun was hardly a pleasant experience. As a result, ice cream had recently become Hah’Er’s favorite food. For this reason, Director Kong had even installed a small refrigerator in the van.
"So, do you guys need to check the chemical composition of this ice cream bar?" Because of them, Shen Yibin had specifically bought Häagen-Dazs. Charlotte took it, glanced at the ingredients list, and then shook her head, indicating there was no problem.
"Um, excuse me, could I be the one to feed the Panda his ice cream?" Charlotte asked timidly, her previous forceful demeanor completely gone.
*Ha.* Shen Yibin laughed instantly. ’I knew it. No one can stay composed in front of a panda.’ He nodded generously. "Alright, you feed him his ice cream, and I’ll give him a massage."
"A massage?" Over on the side, Lunfei’Er raised his hand. "Hello, I’m a professional fitness coach. I’m very skilled at relaxation massages. Could I have this opportunity?" A slight tremor in his voice made him sound a little nervous. Of course, Shen Yibin wasn’t going to pass up such a great chance to get closer to them. If they wrote a few good things in their report, the European and American release of *Panda Hero* would go more smoothly, wouldn’t it?
Famite and Narcissus watched them with faces full of jealousy. ’Why don’t I know how to give a massage? Why didn’t I rush up first and ask to feed the Panda ice cream? I missed such a great opportunity!’
"Excuse me, can I take a few pictures with the Panda?" Charlotte held the ice cream bar to Hah’Er’s mouth while Lunfei’Er gently massaged his shoulders. They could hardly wait to see the envious and jealous comments from netizens after they posted these photos on Facebook and Twitter.
"Uh, Hah’Er is still in his costume. Taking pictures might leak confidential details," Shen Yibin said, not daring to make the decision himself. He turned his gaze toward Director Kong.
"It’s fine. I was planning to release some promotional posters in the next few days anyway. We can just say they’re helping us with publicity," Director Kong generously agreed to their request. Sometimes, this kind of spontaneous promotion works even better than official campaigns. Besides, having people from an animal protection organization post the photos would also serve as proof that they were indeed taking excellent care of Hah’Er, right?
"Thank you so much! Thank you!" Lunfei’Er and Charlotte nodded repeatedly. They turned and called Narcissus and Famite over to take pictures for them. After a few photos, filming resumed.
Meanwhile, Famite squatted to the side and began muttering words one by one, counting on his fingers, "Running, baking, driving, shooting, swimming, rock climbing, basketball..."
"What are you talking about?" Narcissus asked curiously. ’What on earth is wrong with this kid?’
"I’m trying to think of any skills I have that could be of service to Mr. Hah’er. What do you think if I borrow the hotel kitchen later to make Mr. Hah’er a tiramisu?" As their relationship with the crew warmed up, they had also started addressing Hah’Er by name.
"Forget it. The pastry chef at our hotel is a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu in France and a recipient of the Le Cordon Bleu medal. Do you really think you can make a better tiramisu than him?" Narcissus had actually considered the same thing but quickly dismissed the idea.
"Then what on earth can I do for Mr. Hah’er?" Famite lamented, pulling at his hair in frustration. Of all his skills, it seemed only baking could be useful to Hah’Er, but now even that was a dead end. ’Maybe I can go swimming with Mr. Hah’er when we get back to the hotel?’ Famite wasn’t ready to give up and immediately found a new plan.
’His fur is a little messy. Maybe I can help groom it? I used to be a hairstylist for a while, so this should be no problem, right?’ Narcissus was also racking her brain for ideas.
Charlotte and Lunfei’Er were doing the same. While gleefully posting the photos to their social media accounts, they were also thinking up new ways to curry favor with Hah’Er.
"Alright, second scene is a wrap! Take a break and prepare for scene three." Director Kong’s voice interrupted their daydreams. The moment the four foreigners saw Hah’Er was free, they rushed over, scrambling to massage his shoulders, wipe his sweat, and fan him. Watching them, Shen Yibin couldn’t help but shake his head.
’Sigh, these aren’t staff from an animal protection organization, they’re straight-up panda slaves!’ Shen Yibin witnessed the birth of four new panda slaves firsthand.