Strange Life of a Cat
Chapter 343 - Chapter 343 Chapter 336 New Film Invitation

Chapter 343: Chapter 336: New Film Invitation Chapter 343: Chapter 336: New Film Invitation Lord stayed at the Pet Center for just one day before he left with Mr. Tang Qi. However, it seemed that Mr. Tang Qi had reached some agreement with Xiao Guo. Zheng Tan felt that he might see Lord a few more times at the Pet Center from now on, at least not as rare as seeing him only once every one or two years as before.

Huasheng Tang and Sesame were still left at the Pet Center with Li Yuanba. They were living well there, mainly because Li Yuanba was there, and Huasheng Tang had already grown accustomed to the life there. As for Sesame, who was still young, Xiao Guo and Yanzi couldn’t bear to give him away.

Regarding the curled tail monkey “Crystal” mentioned by Xiao Guo, Zheng Tan had secretly looked it up online when he was alone at home. He knew this guy was a comedic star with a high salary, a wealthy one, appearing both in TV shows and on the big screen.

Xiao Guo’s studio’s pets also appeared on the big screen, but those were just brief seconds, or added up to just two or three minutes of screen time, unlike the real animal stars.

Of course, Zheng Tan didn’t think it appropriate to compete with that animal star. National conditions, social rules, and animal welfare varied. Besides, Zheng Tan was a special case and couldn’t really compare himself to such animal stars. Mr. Jiao had said they needed to keep a low profile.

So, for the big screen that Xiao Guo admired so much, Zheng Tan was somewhat intrigued but didn’t think much of it. After all, everyone has their own way of living. Competing with “Crystal” on stage would be a daunting task better left to Qi Da, since both were monkeys and walked the same path.

On the day the documentary aired, the Jiao family sat in the living room all evening, not going out, and Mr. Jiao didn’t go to the courtyard either.

A family of four plus a cat all stared at the screen.

Zheng Tan looked at the four people who were seriously watching the commercials without showing impatience and suddenly felt reflective. It was just a documentary, yet it made the whole family sit in front of the TV early, waiting, with Mr. Jiao even canceling a meeting that evening.

Even though Mr. Jiao had told Zheng Tan to keep a low profile before, when it came down to it, all four family members couldn’t help but be excited, feeling proud and honored.

If it were a TV series, or if it had really hit the big screen, would the Jiao family be even more excited? After all, in most cases, documentaries didn’t have as much public impact as TV shows and films, and the shootings Zheng Tan did in Xiao Guo’s studio were just minor works, pleasing some online viewers. Should they consider further development?

As Zheng Tan pondered, Jiao Yuan excitedly exclaimed, “It’s starting! It’s starting!”

Zheng Tan looked up at the TV, which displayed the documentary’s name — “City, People, Cat.”

There was also a subtitle, “Old Capital Cat Affairs.”

Just from the title, it was evident that Yang Yi had been planning to make a series. This one was the Old Capital episode; the next would be the Mingzhu episode, and the one after might be another city. It seemed unlikely that Yang Yi would shoot all the key cities in the country.

The documentary was not long, with commercials included it wasn’t even an hour.

When Zheng Tan appeared on screen, the Jiao family was excited. Even though the Zheng Tan on screen had dyed fur, for the Jiao family, Heitan was still Heitan. They even commented on Zheng Tan’s role and acting in it. Of course, other cats were discussed too, including Big and Little Rice and other cats.

From the Old Capital to today’s modern Capital City with its towering high-rises, different landscapes, the people living there, and those active, agile shapes throughout, were all presented on screen one by one.

Domestic, stray, those living in luxurious houses, those squatting in alleys, noble, rustic, serious, eccentric… But no matter which type, what Yang Yi wanted to portray was that spirit and cheekiness typical of the Old Capital cats.

Initially, Zheng Tan didn’t think there was anything special about those cats, but the way the film was edited and produced gave a completely different impression.

No wonder people say it’s different on screen. Watching himself, Zheng Tan felt suddenly more artistic.

Different stories, different scenes, accompanied by various music tracks, viewers followed the documentary in reminiscence; some remembered the old alleys and lanes of years past, some the vague shapes now only visible in old photos, and others remembered the people and stories once associated with living there.

Zheng Tan hadn’t felt much during the shoot, but seeing the finished product, he realized the film was quite moving and could resonate with many people.

In those “reminiscence” scenes that Zheng Tan participated in shooting, photographs of cats taken by Yang Yi’s grandfather before he passed away were also included, each documenting the city, the people, and the cats of that era.

The documentary ended with a quote from a “PETWORD” magazine editor:

We may live in different cities, see different landscapes, lead vastly different lives, pass by different strangers each day, each with our own moods as we open our doors, yet what welcomes us is the same happiness. When you hold the warm body of your cat and quietly observe this city, do you know how many stories relate to cats here, and what is happening in other cities? Are we drawn to love these cities because of cats, or do we have cats because of these cities?

After watching, Mr. Jiao went to search for the official website of this documentary.

Since there was a plan to make a series, Yang Yi had also launched an official website, which featured some new promotional videos that had been processed, currently being shot in Mingzhu City.

This wasn’t just a plan to start shooting; it was clear they had already started and might even be near completion!

Zheng Tan thought, if he was really supposed to participate, it wouldn’t be that no one had come to discuss it with Mr. Jiao until now.

It seemed that Zheng Tan might not need to be involved in the upcoming episodes of the series.

Looking at the forum on the official site, there were quite a number of posts.

This chapter about Beijing resonated mostly with those who had lived in the Old Capital or are currently residing in Beijing. With the Beijing chapter preceding it, the ongoing filming of the Mingzhu chapter also sparked anticipation among the residents of Mingzhu City.

Ten Miles of Foreign Market, a hundred-year Mingzhu.

Some compared the cats of Mingzhu to jade in a small family emerging from the alleys, exuding beauty and allure. In their leisurely and relaxed existence, they inadvertently captured hearts. In those fleeting, irresistible glimmers, the cats here resembled the beauties of that era, occasionally visible in the depth of years and old dreams of Mingzhu, never truly leaving.

From the looks of the trailer, the intention was to recreate decades past. The beauties of the era would reenact those splendid yet lonely old dreams with their cats.

Possibly, the uniqueness lives in the era, or it could just be the film’s expressive techniques and focuses. Each city’s cats would embody the characteristics of different eras of that city.

An exaggerated form of art, yet it looked quite comforting.

Just didn’t know when it would be shot in Chuhua City. Speaking of historical significance, Chuhua City was also an old city. However, strictly speaking, Zheng Tan wasn’t truly a native of Chuhua City. If it were filmed here, would Zheng Tan participate?

Well, that would be figured out in time.

Talking about this now is still too premature.

In the following days, when Zheng Tan was alone at home, he specifically visited the film review sections and major forums.

Most comments about this documentary were very positive. On some pet forums, in the pet cat zone, the documentary was highly recommended repeatedly. Each time Zheng Tan saw someone promoting the film, he couldn’t help but feel amused. Although no one could recognize him, the good reviews always pleased him.

In the forum, there was also a post titled “Analysis of the Ten Cat’s Looks in the Film,” three of which were credited to Zheng Tan, one to Big Rice, one to Little Rice, and the other five to other cats. However, ranked first wasn’t Zheng Tan, but Big Rice. The scene where Big Rice squatted on the wall and “coquettishly smiled” downward was forwarded by many, accompanied by various humorous subtitles. In some chatting apps, netizens made this scene into a gif and spread it everywhere, making Big Rice famous online.

Fang Shaokang, who was far away in Beijing, sat in his office and laughed alone for a long time over the posts about Big Rice.

Just when Zheng Tan thought that Yang Yi was now focusing all his energy on filming that documentary series, Mr. Jiao received a call from Yang Yi.

Yang Yi mentioned that there was a film he wanted Zheng Tan to act in. Mr. Jiao didn’t refuse outright; he went home to ask Zheng Tan about it.

During this period, Zheng Tan had often pondered whether or not to take part in a movie if given the chance. He didn’t aspire to be the protagonist; a substantial supporting role would suffice, even a five-minute appearance or a cameo would do. The Jiao family would definitely go to the cinema to watch it together, and they might even buy the DVD to keep.

Listening to Mr. Jiao, and deducing from Yang Yi’s words, could it be a significant role?

Act!

Why not act?

He could earn a salary, appear on the big screen, and it wouldn’t be in vain to have been a cat. As for the low profile Mr. Jiao spoke of, just concealing his identity would suffice. If necessary, he could just sign a contract with Yang Yi.

However, it was another film about cats. Was Yang Yi picking a fight with cats?

A week later, on the weekend, Yang Yi brought his classmate directly to the house.

Since he had called in advance, Mr. Jiao was waiting at home.

The person Yang Yi brought was his high school classmate, now a director named Kong Han, who seemed pretty decent. The film Yang Yi mentioned to Mr. Jiao was the one Kong Han was about to direct. This film was somewhat special, so when Yang Yi saw the script, the first person he thought of for a collaboration was the documentary-experienced Zheng Tan.

Kong Han, who hadn’t been certain about filming this film initially due to the challenges involving animals and the potential difficulties in achieving the desired effect, was persuaded by Yang Yi, who assured him he knew someone who might help. And so, here they were sitting together.

Kong Han eyed the black cat lying on the sofa, which seemed to be sizing him up in return; its gaze was almost human. It was just… just damn spot on with the image in his mind!

Zheng Tan felt the gaze of the young director across from him was a bit odd. However, listening to the conversation Yang Yi was having with Mr. Jiao, it turned out that Yang Yi’s call with Xiao Guo wasn’t about a documentary but another film they were investing in, directed by Kong Han. Yang Yi was no longer with the documentary shooting team.

“By the way, what was it that the script talked about?” Mr. Jiao asked. He had been in a noisy environment when he had taken the call earlier, and plus, Yang Yi had been vague, so he didn’t catch the specifics.

Yang Yi was silent, looking at Kong Han, allowing him, who was more familiar with the script, to explain.

Kong Han smiled and said, “It’s not complicated; basically, it tells the story of a big man who suddenly turned into a cat.”

Zheng Tan: “…”

Damn damn damn damn damn damn! (To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (NovelFire.net) to vote for recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.NovelFire.net to read.)

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