"I've come to realize that as your agent, I'll be facing many attempts to poach you in the future."
While riding the shuttle vehicle back to the resort, Liu Rulan suddenly expressed this sentiment.
Xiao He enjoyed the cool breeze blowing through the jungle, squinting his eyes contentedly: "Don't worry, Sister Liu, I'm the boss of Linghui Studio, and I still need to make my fortune in the entertainment industry!"
"That's right, that's right, Sister Liu, don't worry, I promise I'll keep an eye on Brother Xiao!"
Xiao Chen also gave his assurance.
"But you're really not hiding anything from us about street racing, are you?"
There were plenty of male celebrities in the industry who had gotten into trouble from street racing incidents, and as an experienced agent, Liu Rulan had subconsciously raised her guard.
Xiao He offered a weak explanation: "...I really haven't, I just learn things quickly, that's all."
"Really haven't?"
"Really haven't."
"Pure talent?"
"Really just talent."
"..."
Liu Rulan crossed her arms and fell silent.
Well, anyway, every time Xiao He displayed some astonishing skill, the explanation Liu Rulan always got was "talent."
Liu Rulan had progressed from disbelief to the stage where she couldn't be bothered to believe anymore.
It was all fine, as long as he didn't leave any messes for her to clean up.
"Ah, we're here."
The shuttle vehicle officially entered the resort.
The first impression upon entering the resort was the fragrance.
A very sophisticated floral scent subtly permeated the air. Xiao He carefully twitched his nose, but his limited brain couldn't immediately identify what kind of floral scent it was. However, the fragrance was quite memorable, inexplicably giving off the feeling that just smelling it was expensive. The luxurious fountain in sight and the ornately decorated hotel lobby also raised Xiao He's estimation of how wealthy this place was by another level.
But then again, thinking about it carefully, people who could fly to this island for vacation via private flights must be truly wealthy.
It was even possible that accessing this private island required very high thresholds.
They were really fortunate this time thanks to the production team.
Xiao He took a deep breath of the lingering fragrance at the tip of his nose, feeling that he had already been corrupted by the power of capital.
Xiao Chen, meanwhile, took out his phone for a selfie: "Brother Xiao, Sister Liu, quickly, quickly, let's check in here."
Xiao He automatically raised his hand: "Yeah—"
Liu Rulan only gave them her back as she stood at the front desk inquiring: "Hello, may I ask if the check-in procedures for our artist have been completed?"
"Okay, Ms. Liu, please wait a moment—"
By the time Liu Rulan returned from inspecting the hotel rooms, Xiao He and Xiao Chen had already moved to another spot to take photos.
Liu Rulan facepalmed, feeling like she was taking children on a trip: "I heard there's going to be a barbecue party on the beach tonight. Are you sure you want to waste time here?"
"OK, OK, we'll rest now and continue the battle tonight."
Xiao He and Xiao Chen immediately scattered like birds and beasts, returning to their respective rooms to unpack.
...
The "No Bait" production team thus began their intensive filming on the island.
Meanwhile, back in Shanghai, Shu Han had smoothly signed the contract with He Wenming, and a batch of new employees gradually began joining Linghui Studio.
The previously somewhat quiet studio gradually began expanding office seating and overall interior scale.
He Wenming was a bespectacled man who spoke very gently. Although he didn't appear particularly tall, his approach to handling matters was quite efficient. Immediately after confirming the upcoming studio merger and Shu Han's signing as his artist, he began working on building momentum for Shu Han.
Since Shu Han's return before the Spring Festival until now, there had been relatively little news online about his return to the country. Even if some people had seen him in his hometown, no one thought much of it, only assuming Shu Han had returned to accompany his family elders for the Spring Festival.
But now, with He Wenming taking charge of online public opinion, news related to Shu Han began subtly increasing.
The most obvious indication was that relevant bloggers started editing clips from works Shu Han had previously filmed and began spreading some of Shu Han's past achievements.
This behavior might not be particularly noticeable to netizens who frequently browse various platforms, but to well-connected insiders in the industry, it was very clear—Shu Han had returned to China and was coming back to the domestic entertainment industry!
Immediately, various scripts came pouring in like snowflakes.
However, He Wenming didn't immediately accept the newly arrived scripts for Shu Han. Instead, he took Shu Han to visit several major directors currently residing in Shanghai.
Thus, when Linghui Studio and Shu Han's official account formally announced Shu Han's return to China, they also brought news that Shu Han would soon be joining a production team.
The script was from a major director Shu Han had previously collaborated with, who had also filmed kung fu movies in his early years. However, with the shortage of martial arts actors in recent years, this director had gradually given up on the idea.
Now, hearing that Shu Han had returned, he immediately became restless.
The two parties met again, hit it off immediately, and quickly confirmed Shu Han's next movie script.
This script was primarily set against the backdrop of the Republican era, focusing on the inheritance of martial arts during turbulent times and the sense of national crisis and patriotism.
Upon receiving this news, fans became extremely excited.
[After Shu Han, there are no more great kung fu films. Now you've finally returned! Looking forward to your new work!]
[Great, finally we can have some real kung fu! The last time I saw such exciting fight scenes was in "Thief Catcher."]
[Those who understand are already crying. Is there no hope for "Thief Catcher 2" anymore?]
[Am I the only one who noticed that Shu Han signed with Xiao He's studio? This is truly a powerful collaboration! So excited! Will there be possibilities for them to collaborate in the future?]
[Wow, and the agent is He Wenming! How did he poach him from He Jinnian? This is truly amazing!]
[Ah? Then what about our He Jinnian? Does this count as malicious poaching?]
[Ahem, look carefully. Teacher He has already explained that due to changes in work plans, he asked He Wenming to manage Shu Han. There's no malicious poaching situation between the two sides. In fact, Teacher He Jinnian just publicly welcomed Shu Han's return.]
[Um, so could it be that He Jinnian was set up by capital? So tragic, he didn't have many schedules this year to begin with, and now his agent has been poached...]
[? What's between your shoulders? If you don't want it, squeeze it out. Don't pretend you can't understand human speech.]
...
Shu Han's return sparked significant discussion.
However, regardless, at this time, whether among fans or other artists in the industry, the majority expressed expectations and welcome. After all, Shu Han had left a good reputation domestically in his early years with high national recognition. Currently, with the situation abroad not being great, his choice to return to the domestic entertainment industry was quite normal. As for his performance after returning, most people were still in a wait-and-see mode.
After learning this news, Xiao He also used his own account to welcome Shu Han's return.
[Actor-Xiao He: Welcome mr Shu's return~]
Shu Han's side also responded to Xiao He quite promptly.
[Actor-Shu Han: Thank you, Little He. Let's work hard together! [Handshake]]