Chapter 143: Guest Appearance
"Jake,"
Danny stood respectfully in front of Jake, completely unbothered by his casual posture.
This scene was truly shocking to the other students.
Danny was known for being particular and temperamental—the kind of person who had high standards for everything.
On campus, he never paid attention to just anyone, only associating with those he considered worth his time—typical selective networking behavior. Many people gossiped about him behind his back, but no one dared to confront him directly.
Why?
Because he was academically gifted, creative, favored by professors, and had strong networking skills.
No matter how much they disliked him, they couldn't deny his talent. Especially recently, his debut film had secured substantial funding, reportedly aiming for a theatrical release!
This was remarkable. Most film school graduates ended up doing odd jobs, working as production assistants, or serving as director's assistants on various sets.
Those with good connections could network with a couple of wealthy individuals, pitch over drinks and dinner, and secure an investment of tens of thousands to produce a web series, building a foundation for their future.
But getting a first film into theaters? Whether anyone would follow suit was unknown, but it was definitely unprecedented. Many said Danny would be able to walk with his head held high from now on, having truly secured a powerful backer.
And yet, Danny was treating this young man with complete deference?
The man, dressed in a black shirt with a thin red tie, looked more like a character from a spy thriller than a typical businessman.
Or was this young man cast to play a villain?
His somewhat refined features didn't seem villainous at all, but actors were all about performance—maybe he could really pull it off?
Those watching found ways to rationalize what they were seeing.
However, what Danny was about to do would completely shatter their assumptions.
"What's up?" the man in black asked, straightening his posture slightly without any intention of standing.
Everyone expecting Danny to snap was once again astonished. Instead, Danny smiled and bent down, bringing himself to eye level with the seated man. "It's like this—we're about to start filming, right? But that professor didn't show up."
"I had a creative idea, and I felt it would be a waste not to use it, so could I ask you to do me a favor and make a cameo appearance?"
"Me?" The man pointed to himself. "I never went to college, and I've never been a teacher. I can't handle this role at all."
"No, no, no, your presence is perfect," Danny insisted. "A calm demeanor, perfect for a cameo as a counselor. It won't take much time—just a few shots, and we'll film them all today."
He remained bent over, looking hopefully at Jake.
"Don't blame me if I'm terrible," Jake nodded, standing from his chair.
Across countless movie worlds, hadn't he tried playing different roles? Some were successful, some were failures, but adapting to different situations had become second nature to him.
If the movie he was funding could somehow become real, what if he traveled into it and met another version of himself? Just thinking about it was intriguing.
It was just filming—he wasn't worried.
This was simply a casual request between Jake and Danny, and neither thought anything was unusual about it. But to everyone watching, it was a completely different story.
Everyone fell silent, wondering who this person was and why Danny was acting like an assistant around him.
But they were destined never to get answers.
"Jake, this outfit..." Danny suggested tactfully, "is a bit too striking. It doesn't quite fit the campus aesthetic..."
"No problem, I can change."
In the past, he wouldn't have dared remove his tactical suit so easily—after all, it was his trump card. But now, with Red Queen's monitoring capabilities, he felt confident even without it.
Removing his shirt and tie, Jake didn't worry about privacy. The wardrobe change was done right there in the open.
As he removed his shirt, his athletic physique was revealed—defined muscles marked with scars from various encounters, adding to his rugged appeal.
Instantly, several girls let out soft gasps, and even the lead actress kept glancing over, her eyes seemingly sparkling with interest.
His body had undergone various training regimens, every muscle group developed, with extremely low body fat, making him exceptionally fit.
The male students were envious, especially the heavyset guy from earlier, whose eyes were practically burning with jealousy. However, they didn't dare cause trouble. Setting aside his unknown identity, his body marked with scars and his obvious physical conditioning meant even a group of them wouldn't stand a chance.
Danny briefly explained the scene to Jake and had him put on a casual button-down and round metal-frame glasses, giving him an air of academic sophistication.
"Scene one, take one, action!"
With a clapperboard snap, the camera quickly focused on a man and woman in an office setting.
The young actress was expressing her character's concerns, while the male counselor listened attentively, nodding occasionally.
Jake's character didn't actually advance the plot—his sole purpose was to give the female lead a reasonable opportunity to express her worries.
This was also setup for later plot development.
However, an unexpected problem occurred on set. Kelly, who played the female lead, seemed flustered while delivering her lines, probably distracted by Jake's earlier wardrobe change, and kept stumbling over her words.
"Let's go again!" Danny called through his megaphone.
"Reset, and... action!"
"Give us a close-up..."
The camera slowly tracked across both faces, settling on Kelly.
Perhaps because she'd already failed several times, she was no longer too embarrassed to continue. This time, she delivered her lines smoothly in one take.
After filming the first scene, the crew continued, shooting all the scenes featuring Jake as the counselor.
His footage, when carefully edited, would probably total less than three minutes.
They finished filming after just over an hour.
"I'm so sorry," Kelly apologized to Jake first. "I kept messing up during filming."
"It's fine," Jake shook his head. "You did great—much more professional than me."
This attractive young woman, who already had some minor recognition, was surprisingly down-to-earth. She didn't have the entitled attitude of some social media influencers who thought fame made them superior. She seemed genuine and likable.
He then teased Danny, who stood beside him. "Next time, director, you should give her a role with more dialogue! This one only had two lines."
"Next time, definitely," Danny nodded. "How about I give you a supporting lead role?"
"No thanks, I was just joking. If you give me too much, I won't have time to film it."
Acting was entertaining, but he preferred experiencing stories firsthand—he preferred movie worlds where fictional narratives became reality.
Filming had only just begun. It would probably take another few months for the film to finish shooting and be released.
In the meantime, Jake had already chosen his next destination—a world he'd always wanted to visit.
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