Looking at the ancient-style building before him with its red walls and golden tiles, exuding extreme luxury and opulence, Xiao He's mouth fell open slightly.
Huh?
It was clear the production team had already exercised some restraint.
They had only repainted a few of the more important buildings with red lacquer and golden tiles. Not only had all the pillars along the corridors been replaced with a low-key, restrained vermilion red, but even the upturned eaves and corners outside the houses had been forced to be coated in a layer of gold paint. The entire structure shimmered brilliantly under the sun's rays—this was a color and decoration that ordinary aristocratic families could never afford to use in a lifetime.
No wonder the production assistant had told them earlier that the crew had paid a hefty compensation.
Such decoration was rarely used by normal production teams—because it symbolized imperial authority.
Speaking of red walls and golden tiles, the most representative building had to be Beijing's Forbidden City. That was the symbol of the imperial family, representing absolute authority and solemnity. If an ordinary aristocratic family dared to use this decorative color, it would be an act of overstepping their station, a crime punishable by beheading, no different from wearing a dragon robe in the middle of the street—sheer suicide.
In an ordinary plot, such decoration would definitely not be allowed. However, judging by the various metaphors and hints in the script, as the only entity capable of remaining detached from the martial world, becoming a neutral force of extreme luxury and possessing the greatest wealth in the world, Thousand Leaves Manor could indeed bear such decoration.
"The martial world sees no imperial authority, yet imperial authority has never left the martial world."—This was precisely the uniqueness of Thousand Leaves Manor.
Xiao He sniffed the faint, lingering scent of paint in the air and clicked his tongue slightly. "Your production team really goes all out."
However, upon hearing Xiao He's words, the production assistant's expression turned somewhat bitter. "Mhm, indeed."
Liu Rulan noticed the assistant's bitterness and gave the young man a rather meaningful look, but in the end, she didn't take the initiative to ask.
Following their guide, the group finally saw the director of their current production team.
Unexpectedly, their director was currently on the phone with a woeful expression.
"President Xiao, it really wasn't intentional, I swear! How could the equipment just break down like that for no reason? That was something I got from the US! These past few days, I haven't been able to eat or sleep properly. Just thinking about how we're about to start filming, and I can only use that broken equipment to create your work, fills me with such guilt..."
"Maybe you should just replace me! I've truly let you down, I should atone with my death—"
Everyone: "..."
Xiao He: ?
Huh? They just arrived, and they're already changing directors?
The production assistant, however, was already used to it. He signaled for everyone to wait where they were, then turned and left. Liu Rulan, having seen through everything, stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching the director's dramatic performance.
"Ah, yes, yes, I understand, okay, okay, thank you, President Xiao! You are literally my savior, the lucky star of our production team!"
Who knows what was said on the other end, but the man who had been wailing immediately dropped the crying act and thanked the caller with a beaming smile. "Okay, rest assured, this is definitely the last time! I'll replace this broken equipment right away and get you the best, most advanced gear!"
"Alright, alright, goodbye, President Xiao."
After hanging up, the man finally noticed Xiao He and Liu Rulan in the distance.
"Ah, you're here! Sorry for the wait, please, have a seat!"
The man was of average height, with a thin build, wearing a pair of gold-rimmed glasses that were missing a leg and had chipped paint. He looked somewhat malnourished, giving off a frail, weak vibe as if he might collapse at any moment.
Xiao He was even afraid that moving too vigorously might send the man flying, so he carefully shook hands with him. "Hello, Director Deng, hello."
The man before them was called Deng Lei, the director and screenwriter of "Record of Chasing the Wind."
Deng Lei was someone who had long been deeply involved in the historical drama television industry, producing many works. He'd had hit shows and also utter flops. He had once managed to remake an obscure, failed work into a hit TV series, but had also turned a major IP adaptation into a pile of garbage. He was truly a player whose performance could swing from divine to demonic in an instant, extremely unstable.
Upon first hearing about such a director, Xiao He felt somewhat uneasy.
After all, with an unstable director, no one knew what the final product would turn out like.
This was a landmine. Before figuring out its pattern, no one dared to step in.
Fortunately, Liu Rulan had some understanding of Deng Lei and had privately analyzed the pattern of his filming quality for Xiao He—
In one sentence: This Director Deng never fights a losing battle!
"Buzz— Buzz—"
Before Xiao He could say anything, Deng Lei's phone rang again.
"Wait a moment, just a moment—"
Deng Lei smiled and gestured to Xiao He, then walked aside with his phone.
"Hello, President Chen."
"Ah, yes, it's like this. Our production team has indeed encountered some situations and needs a bit more support from your side..."
"Yes, yes, that's roughly the amount. Rest assured, once we officially start filming, everything will definitely go smoothly."
"Ah, you know how it is. If the lintel above the main gate here isn't repaired, no one will be able to enter through the front door—"
"Okay, okay, I understand..."
Xiao He tried to recall but couldn't remember any issues with the main gate earlier.
Liu Rulan, however, had already seen through it all and explained in a low voice by Xiao He's ear, "Just a tactic for soliciting investment."
The corner of Xiao He's mouth twitched. "We haven't even started filming yet, and the production team is out of funds again?"
This was exactly what Liu Rulan had told Xiao He before: This guy Deng Lei could only fight winning battles, not losing ones.
If the production team had ample funds and everything progressed smoothly, providing Deng Lei with a good creative environment, then he could perform exceptionally well, completing everything perfectly and to the best of his ability.
But if the production team was short on funds, with various problems cropping up one after another, then the stuff Director Deng produced wouldn't be so wonderful...
For example, that previous IP-adapted TV series. The preconditions were actually quite good—a good script, high popularity. But because the invited actors were too expensive, most of the funds went to their salaries, leaving pitifully little for the actual filming.
The investors above were also stingy, believing that traffic stars alone could bring the heat, unwilling to add more investment. Instead, they pressured the director and crew, demanding they create a good product.
So, under all that pressure and in that tense atmosphere, Deng Lei produced a massive flop. That TV series crashed and burned spectacularly.
Turning the tables against the odds? That doesn't exist in Deng Lei's world.
It's still that saying: He can only live a rich life, not a poor one.
He's always been used to lavish spending on set. Even with the architectural style here, he couldn't bear it for a second, forcing the production team to renovate and rebuild these structures. Others couldn't stop him.
And once the production team ran out of money, or funds became even slightly tight, he would go around begging the team's "sugar daddies" for investment, demanding increased funding.
At first, some investors, pestered to annoyance, would add a sum. Some investors suspected Deng Lei was planning to abscond with the funds. Others simply couldn't be bothered, wouldn't even talk, and directly blocked Deng Lei.
In the end, without a doubt, Deng Lei—one moment a god, the next a demon—made many investors suffer.
Yet this ability of his, both loved and hated, has allowed him to this day to take on major projects and big production teams, even securing more investment.
There's no helping it. If Deng Lei can film well, he really makes money!
As long as you stick to the "Money Law," Deng Lei is a god. And the more you invest, the more godly his performance becomes!