Chapter 34

Edward shook his head and endured the numbness in his body.

He got up from the bed and started his usual morning routine.

Even though it was Saturday with no classes, there was still a lot to do.

At approximately eight o'clock in the morning, he proceeded to his makeshift studio.

There, he switched on his desktop computer, established an internet connection, and began uploading the video.

Later, after completing the upload, he switched to Facebook, and as usual, he began replying to messages that had accumulated over time.

At nine o'clock in the morning, he dressed comfortably in casual attire, made sure to securely lock the door to his apartment, and headed to the group's meeting place.

This time, their meeting place was a nearby restaurant.

The place was just a short distance from the billiard hall where they used to play.

The establishment was of moderate size, neither too big nor too small, and it had a cozy ambiance.

As soon as he came, he immediately spotted the group.

After some greetings, Edward chatted with them while they waited for others to come.

Later, after the group is complete, they enter the restaurant and have a meal together.

After the meal, Edward paid the bill and then approached the waiter and asked if he could speak with the restaurant's owner.

Minutes later, the owner came with a friendly smile.

"Hi, I'm Richard, the owner of this place. May I ask what business I owe you, Mr?" Despite his seemingly warm demeanor, his impatient tone didn't go unnoticed by Edward.

Nevertheless, he didn't dwell on it.

"My friends and I have a school project, and we require a place to film videos. I believe your establishment would be suitable. Is it possible for us to rent it for a day?" he explained briefly and inquired.

"This... I'm afraid it won't be that simple," Richard replied with a hint of hesitation.

Edward leaned in a bit, his curiosity piqued. "What's the average daily revenue for your restaurant?"

Richard glanced around the establishment, as if calculating in his head. "About ₱3,500 on average."

Edward nodded thoughtfully. "Alright, then I'm offering ₱4,500 to rent the place. How does that sound?"

A moment of silence followed as Richard seemed to contemplate the proposal. Then he hesitated, "Impossible. It should be at least ₱8,500!"

Edward raised an eyebrow, determined. "Can you provide me with your restaurant's profit and loss statement?"

Richard paused, clearly uncomfortable with the request. "..."

Edward decided not to press too hard. "I won't press the issue further, but the price must be ₱4,500!"

"...."

Edward bargained with the owner for a while, and in the end, the negotiation price they reached was ₱5,000.

After the negotiation, Edward couldn't help but let out a satisfied smile, as it was cheaper than he expected.

"Is this a good deal?" Angela spoke up, still unsure.

Her doubts mirrored what their friends were thinking after witnessing the negotiation.

₱5,000, while not a significant amount, was still a considerable sum for their limited budgets.

"Of course, the rents of a business space are usually more expensive..." Edward replied, then began explaining.

Rent for commercial or business spaces is typically higher than residential rents because businesses can generate income from these spaces.

The rent often depends on the revenue or potential earnings the business can generate in that location.

Landlords expect to receive compensation that reflects the value and income-generating potential of the space they are renting out to businesses.

"But... isn't it a bit too much? I doubt this place makes more than ₱3,000 a day," Alfred remarked.

"Revenue is just a starting point, not an absolute standard. The final rental cost requires negotiation and agreement from both parties.

After a lengthy explanation and discussion, everyone reluctantly accepted it.

Soon, under Edward's leadership, they began preparing for the shooting of their skit.

It was their first try at shooting a skit, and at first, they didn't take it too seriously. But when they saw how much money Edward spent on it, they changed their approach and started to take it more seriously.

In the week since they decided to make skits, they have not lost contact at all and have had regular talks about all kinds of details in their GC, and today was the day to implement it.

In total, they made a variety of scripts in a short period of time, and for today's shooting, they specifically chose five scripts that were set in the restaurant, each lasting 4 to 5 minutes.

The group collaborated to create these scripts, allowing everyone to share ideas and make improvements.

After much fine-tuning, the five scripts were finally completed, and after seeing them, Edward may not have known everything about script making, but his unique insight into future trends made him able to see what's good.

Following Edward's usual recording style, the process was still trial and error.

However, unlike Edward's first attempt, the group used the cameras that Edward had bought earlier rather than relying on smartphones.

They had an abundance of batteries and memory cards, which allowed them to capture as many shots as necessary.

...

Time passed.

As the day progressed, the group encountered a multitude of challenges during their first video shoot.

They found themselves repeatedly rehearsing the same scenes, actions, and lines.

However, achieving the desired perfection in each take remained a challenging task.

These difficulties stemmed from various factors.

First and foremost, this was their first attempt at creating a video, and they were still in the process of familiarizing themselves with the procedures.

By approximately 5 p.m., the group had lost count of the numerous takes they had attempted.

Fatigue had taken its toll, both physically and mentally, and many times they felt like giving up, but when they thought that Edward had spent so much money on this video,

They couldn't help but grit their teeth and endure.

"Alright, everyone, we're done for today! Great job!" Edward clapped his hands, making everyone sigh in relief.

"Wait, Ed, what about the remaining time? Didn't you rent this place for the whole day? Can't we stop the time now and continue tomorrow?" Angela raised her arm and asked.

"No the rent was for just one day. There won't be another day."

"..."

The group was silent and couldn't help but feel complicated.

They were tired and wanted to go home as soon as possible to rest, but thinking the money would be wasted because of them, they were unwilling.

"Then, how about we continue shooting? After all we have made a lot of errors during the shooting." Angela proposed.

"Yes, we should keep recording! Edward invested so much, so we must make most of it!"