pjbooks Chapter 217 Participating in the Audition and the Photography Coach
Chapter 217 Participating in the Audition and the Photography Coach
Chapter 217 Participating in the Audition and the Photography Coach
Stealing the young master?!
Upon hearing this terrifying number, Ma Jieke was somewhat taken aback.
Having $100 million in cash means you can settle in almost any country in the world and live a life far more comfortable than the average person.
More importantly, winning the championship is not just about earning 100 million; you can also leverage the fame of the champion to achieve a series of subsequent benefits. The most direct benefits are brand endorsements and monetization of personal traffic, as well as being invited to participate in other survival programs, film documentaries, and serve as a technical consultant.
In fact, Ma Jie had the idea of participating in the show a long time ago and had also acquired some skills in wilderness survival.
【Wilderness Survival Iv1】: Improves your overall wilderness survival skills; can be upgraded by selecting multiple times.
【Drawing a cake to satisfy hunger (active)】: Restores 100% of the body's required heat after activation, with a 10-day cooldown.
【Quenching Thirst by Looking at Plums (Active)】: Restores 100% of the body's required water after activation. Cooldown: 10 days.
Like Mixed Martial Arts, Wilderness Survival is a "trunk" skill. Upgrading this skill will increase related knowledge in your brain, which is equivalent to copying files into your brain via a USB interface. It has the highest priority.
The idioms "drawing a cake to satisfy hunger" and "looking at plums to quench thirst" are like adding branches to the "trunk"—one creates food out of thin air, and the other drinks water from afar, without even putting on an act.
In addition, the "Working Body" is also a survival skill, giving you 80% more stamina than others for no reason. It is perfect for chopping trees and building infrastructure or for high-intensity hunting.
Finally, there are a few other skills that are also very suitable for wilderness survival, such as [Little Strongman] and [Healthy Physique].
And [Eagle Eye].
[Little Hercules]: Permanently increases Strength attribute by 5%, enhancing physical explosiveness and load-bearing capacity.
[Healthy Physique]: Permanently increases resistance to disease and infection by 15%.
【Eagle Eye】: Permanently improves visual acuity by 10%, and simultaneously enhances night vision.
Weight-bearing capacity, disease resistance, enhanced vision... any of these can increase the probability of winning the championship.
With so many amazing skills at his disposal, Ma Jie couldn't find a reason not to covet the prize money. He tentatively asked, "Ms. Grace, if I may ask, how is your casting process going?"
"Not so good." Grace's face showed a few worries when she talked about work: "Although there are tens of thousands of people who have signed up for 'Living Alone in the Wilderness' online, after the preliminary and semi-final rounds, the ones who can finally get to the offline interview are still the same old faces. They are either the runners-up and third-place winners who participated in the show before, or industry veterans with decades of experience."
"Isn't this great?"
"What's so great about it?" Grace explained, "The director's task for me is to find at least two amateurs to participate, because the audience has generally expressed that they are tired of seeing the same old celebrities and want some fresh faces. I've only managed to find one so far, but there's less than a month left before the show officially starts filming."
"I see." Knowing her situation, Ma Jie asked calmly, "What specific requirements does this 'ordinary person' you mentioned have?"
"Of course there are," Grace said. "These requirements are infuriating. First, the person can't be famous; they have to be a complete novice. Second, they have to pass an interview and intensive training program. Is this even human? How can a capable person not be famous? How can a famous person not be capable? I'm so fed up with these harsh requirements. Even Nazi Germany didn't treat Jews any worse."
"Haha, no, no, not at all." Hearing this, Ma Jieke laughed heartily and began to recommend himself: "Miss Grace, what do you think of me?"
"What do you mean?" Grace was taken aback for a moment before she realized what she meant. "You want to participate in 'Living in the Wilderness'? You... a Chinese person, participating in 'Living in the Wilderness'?"
"What?" Faced with her exaggerated reaction, Ma Jie spread his hands: "This has nothing to do with what country I am. Disney has already released 'Black Snow Princess,' so why can't I, an Asian, participate in a variety show? As far as I know, you can see Europeans and Americans in many programs broadcast in China. This contrast is very effective in boosting ratings and creating buzz."
After listening to Jack's analysis, Grace pondered for a few seconds and replied, "Jack, I admit what you said is true. After all, you've already proven it in 'Store Treasure Hunt King.' But wilderness survival isn't like opening blind boxes. You can't win just by luck and eyesight. If you're a true fan, you should understand that this show isn't a show. Once the contestants enter the competition area, there are no cameramen around. They have to bring their own camera equipment to record footage of logging, fishing, hunting, making traps, etc. You won't pass this stage alone."
"My goodness, if I may be so blunt, Miss Grace, you're seriously underestimating me."
After she finished speaking, Ma Jie immediately retorted: "I have a friend who does this. I learned some basic knowledge from her before. As long as I improve my skills, I can definitely meet your standards."
"Okay, since you're so confident, as an old friend, I won't try to persuade you any further."
Seeing Ma Jieke's confident demeanor, Grace smiled and said, "From now on, you can send materials to my email. I don't have any strict requirements. As long as it can demonstrate your wilderness survival skills, it will be a plus. If you pass the preliminary selection, I will let you enter the interview stage. As for the subsequent training and final selection, that's not something you should be thinking about right now."
"Okay, it's a deal." Ma Jie took the initiative to extend his hand and shake hers. She said goodbye, walked to the car door, paused, and turned around: "Believe me, Jack, you won't be selected so easily. Neither your age nor your professional background is enough to support you in participating in this program."
Ma Jie smiled and didn't say anything, watching her drive away. You can't blame her for being short-sighted; it's just an objective judgment based on normal logic.
The difficulty of this task is no less than that of the Chinese national football team winning the World Cup. It's called "Survival in the Wilderness," not "Street Survival." You, a homeless person, probably wouldn't even last a day.
There was a previous season where a contestant was so frightened by a black bear that it invaded the camp on the very first night that he cried and had to call the show's production team through the satellite phone to withdraw from the competition.
If even professionals are like this, what other outcome can laymen expect besides being eliminated immediately upon landing?
After seeing Grace off, Majesty rode his bike back to the Green Box junkyard and handed the suspect over to Sheriff Dave, thus bringing the matter to a close.
You don't need to do anything else now. You've been caught red-handed buying up stolen goods, so you'll have to suspend operations for rectification.
As for that old coward Old, he will naturally be listed as the main culprit by the police for hiring someone to commit assault and receiving and selling stolen goods. If you have the guts, then run away. It would be best to add the charge of fleeing from justice. Do you really think the police station is a charity?
Driving his pickup truck back into the slums, where meal distribution had returned to normal, Maje jumped out of the vehicle, walked straight to Valentina, and said with a grin, "Dear Miss Angel, could you do me a favor?"
"Speak properly!" Valentina rolled her eyes at him, handed a plate of fried chicken and vegetable salad with ice crystals to the person in line, and mechanically called out, "Next."
"Teach me how to record videos using a camcorder and an action camera, mainly focusing on camera placement and audio recording."
Ma Jieke prides himself on having a fairly clear understanding of things, because he recorded "Living Alone in the Wilderness" from two different perspectives.
One is a fixed perspective, mainly filming the construction of shelters and daily life. Because the shelters are stationary, the camera is also stationary, at most adjusting the camera position in place as needed.
Secondly, it involves moving the camera to record all the players' actions after they leave the camp, which can only be done using a GoPro.
Finally, there's the sound recording, which may seem insignificant, but it's actually quite important.
"Good visuals but bad audio" is a sign of amateurism, especially since this is a TV program. A lot of the program effect depends on the contestants' monologues and on-the-spot reactions. Unclear audio is like killing someone with a dull knife.
Upon hearing Ma Jieke's request, Valentina, while engrossed in her work, glanced at him out of the corner of her eye: "Are you treating me like a fool? Last time we went out to film wildlife, you already took advantage of me for free. This time you want to learn new techniques, can you at least pay the tuition first?"
After saying that, seeing the bewildered look on someone's face, a smile inexplicably appeared on his lips, and he couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Alright, alright, I was just kidding. Can't you see I'm busy? I have to finish my work before I can satisfy you, you insatiable guy."
"Oh, Nana, work is nothing compared to a date." At this moment, a colleague, an older woman, spoke up: "Go ahead, go ahead, it's just a little work, we'll do it for you. Your boyfriend is a big hero now, helping the police to keep the poor street in good order, unlike before, when there were always people fighting and causing trouble every time they lined up."
"Yeah, he finally got a chance to ask you out, how can you bear to just watch him wait here?"
"What boyfriend? I've had enough of you guys!" Facing her colleagues' teasing, Valentina angrily blew on her bangs. "I'll say it again, Jack and I are really not in a relationship. Have you ever seen a couple who have known each other for so long and still remain celibate? This is America, not Afghanistan!"
Upon hearing her remarks, a chorus of boos erupted around her. Valentina realized that her words had gone too far and instinctively covered her mouth.
"Ahem, thanks everyone for taking care of this silly girl." Ma Jie coughed first, then smiled shamelessly at her colleagues.
When she came to her senses, she had already climbed into the pickup truck and was honking the horn in a fit of anger.
"What's wrong?" Back in the car, Ma Jie stepped on the gas and drove out of the city.
"What do you mean, 'what'?" The girl turned to him, puffing out her cheeks. "Every time you come to see me, my colleagues make these kinds of jokes about me, but you've never offered an explanation. I think you're doing it on purpose."
"Haha, look how serious you are." Ma Jieke laughed out loud at her joke. "Does it really matter what other people think of you? Like you said, this is America, not Afghanistan. Why not live a little more freely? Boyfriend or just a friend, we're good friends, isn't that enough?"
"What? Whatever the relationship is, that's what the relationship is. Don't confuse the two!"
"Fine, fine, you're good-looking, you get to decide, I don't care."
Majesty wasn't as particular as her. After all, she was born in a rural Mexican village into a traditional Catholic family, but now she was in America. The two concepts of tradition and openness were constantly fighting within her. If she broke the taboos, she would feel sorry for her family; if she maintained the tradition, she would seem out of place in the environment.
"You smooth talker!" After being complimented on her looks, Valentina finally smiled. "Idiot, you're going in the wrong direction."
"That's right, aren't we going to the Hollywood Hills area?"
"Let's go to the Long Beach Market first," Valentina patiently told him. "If you want to learn photography systematically, you need your own set of equipment. Since you're still a beginner, buying secondhand items at the market is the most cost-effective option. Don't worry about being ripped off by the sellers; I've got your back."
By the end, her pretty face was full of smugness; finally, there was something she could do to show off her seniority in front of this guy.
Ma Jieke had no choice but to turn around and drive west on the overpass, still complaining: "I said, why are you always working part-time to support yourself? Do you know there's an old Chinese saying that photography can impoverish three generations and a DSLR can ruin a lifetime? You're already so poor, you might as well cultivate a hobby that can make money, like your mother, making handmade knitting products."
"Who told you I can't make money?" Valentina retorted dismissively to the question, "I've always taken on small jobs, like taking photos for kids at summer camps and submitting my work to National Geographic."
I submitted my article to the magazine, but I haven't received a reply yet.
No... you call this making money? Summer camps are only held once a year, you're probably more relaxed than Santa Claus. And don't even mention National Geographic, the probability of your article being selected is lower than winning the lottery.
Ma Jie didn't want to dampen her enthusiasm, and they soon arrived at Long Beach Market, located southwest of Los Angeles.
It's called a market, but it's actually a more upscale flea market with over 800 stalls, a paradise for bargain hunters.
It's already afternoon, so the tickets, which were originally $10 each, have been reduced to $5. Plus, there's an extra $5 for parking, making it $15 in total.
That's right, these kinds of places usually charge a fee, even if you don't buy anything and just come in to browse.
According to the organizers, they need to hire security guards, cleaners, and managers to ensure the safety, hygiene, and order of the market.
But in Ma Jieke's view, this is a screening threshold that automatically filters out unstable factors such as homeless people, illegal immigrants, drug addicts, and zero-dollar purchase players.
Don't underestimate $5. At a convenience store, you can buy five discounted burgers, and at a taffy vendor, you can buy a cigarette with extra toppings.
Paying money to count heads in this dump? Don't be ridiculous.