Sometimes Xiao He really felt that some people in the industry were truly incredible.
Of course, this "incredible" could be both complimentary and derogatory.
After Deng Lei finished his phone call and returned, he briefly discussed the upcoming arrangements with Xiao He and the others.
"...First, finalize the makeup looks, then meet the other actors. A few actors from Yunheng Entertainment will arrive a bit later, and then..."
Xiao He listened briefly; it was nothing more than those routine schedule items. He nodded directly, "Okay, we have no issues."
As for the artist who would arrive late that Director Deng mentioned, Xiao He didn't need to think to know it was definitely Yuan Sitong.
Wasn't it just like during the filming of "Corner Also"? Yuan Sitong, the queen of tardiness—he was already too lazy to criticize her.
Xiao He directly gave Liu Rulan a look.
Liu Rulan immediately pressed further, "I took a look. Our opening scenes this time are at Thousand Leaves Manor. There will definitely be many fight scenes. Our Xiao He has already undergone training in advance, so filming won't be a problem. But what about the others..."
Fortunately, Deng Lei wasn't the type of rigid, zero-EQ director. After all, what he did most often was play the sympathy card with different investors to secure more funding. So, Deng Lei almost immediately understood Liu Rulan's unspoken implication.
He immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, we've already made arrangements for the others as well."
Yuan Sitong had a powerful background. There were negative rumors about her online, but not many, and they wouldn't affect her career. However, any artist who had worked with Yuan Sitong knew how difficult she was to deal with.
A princess attitude, arriving late and leaving early, gossiping behind people's backs, unprofessional, poor work ethic...
If you wanted to say she had some earth-shattering scandal, well, she really didn't! And for the domestic entertainment industry environment, which was so tolerant, her faults weren't enough to make her quit.
So what else could be done? They just had to accommodate her.
After all, up to now, Yuan Sitong really hadn't done anything bad to Xiao He.
"Teacher Yuan has a dedicated stunt double who has also undergone training in advance, so no need to worry."
Deng Lei truly understood Xiao He's concerns and stated bluntly, "It's just that Teacher Xiao might need to work a bit harder running through the scenes multiple times."
Once filming with the main actor, once filming with the stunt double.
"That's no problem at all."
Xiao He breathed a sigh of relief.
He was just afraid of encountering another rigid director, overly strict, insisting on not using a stunt double and making him act opposite Yuan Sitong.
Meeting one Director Yan was enough for him.
"Shall we head to the makeup room now then?"
"Ahem, w-wait a moment—"
However, Deng Lei called Xiao He back again.
"Um, it's just..."
Looking at the young man before him, Deng Lei spoke haltingly, somewhat embarrassed, "I heard your Linghui Studio has successfully transitioned into a company? Congratulations, congratulations..."
Xiao He paused mid-step, staring at the director in front of him. "Thank you?"
Recalling the masterful performance of playing the sympathy card this director had just put on in front of him, Xiao He vaguely sensed a hint of something. "Director Deng, if you have something to say, just say it directly."
Ever since Linghui officially upgraded to a company recently, Xiao He's status within the industry had quietly changed.
He was no longer just a simple artist but the boss of a company. Although the company wasn't large, the recent "Imperial Decree" was their company's most outstanding report card and was recognized within the industry as one of the most successful investment projects.
It was also from then on that all sorts of random people Xiao He had added within the industry started getting chummy with him. Almost every day, Xiao He received several messages congratulating him on his studio's transformation into a company.
Of course, some close friends not only sent messages but also congratulatory gifts. Xiao He replied to each of them seriously.
Xiao He just hadn't expected that his current change in status could already lead to his own drama's director approaching him to solicit investment.
Yes, the reason Director Deng sought out Xiao He was simple—just one thing: soliciting investment.
"But isn't this project funded and produced by Banana Video?" Xiao He was somewhat puzzled.
Logically, such a large project shouldn't really be short on money. If their Linghui went and stuck their nose into the platform's business, they might offend the platform. Their own future productions might not even get a chance to air on Banana Video.
"Diversifying risk..." Deng Lei muttered somewhat guiltily, "If you're willing to invest, I'll definitely help you connect with the platform."
Most importantly, if he went to other investors, he might have to cry for a long time just to squeeze out a little more investment. But looking at Xiao He in front of him and the Linghui Entertainment behind him, Deng Lei felt this was a brand new, untapped sugar daddy!
When a new sugar daddy enters the game, the first investment definitely won't be shabby!
Deng Lei was already mentally calculating how many more custom weapons he could order later.
Xiao He: ...
Alright, alright. He hasn't even joined the crew yet, and the money in his pocket is already being eyed!
Over here, Xiao He and Director Deng were discussing investment matters. Over there, Qin Yuezhang was living in deep water and scorching fire.
The Qin Family.
Although the Qin family had declined in recent years, their property was still among the best in all of Beijing. The independent villa was imposing and dignified. It's just that the small garden outside had withered many flowers and plants at some point, and even the money tree at the entrance, symbolizing wealth and fortune, had shed many leaves sparsely.
"Grandpa, Grandpa, that really has nothing to do with me—"
Inside the lavishly decorated villa hall, Qin Yuezhang knelt on the plush carpet, hugging Old Master Qin's leg, crying with snot and tears, having long lost the arrogance he displayed abroad that day.
Qin Mubo, sitting in the main seat, looked down at his grandson. His aged face showed a mix of helplessness and anger. Even his somewhat gaunt body, due to old age, rose and fell with the emotions in his heart, as if experiencing a mountain torrent and tsunami.
But in the end, he just sighed and gestured for Qin Yuezhang to sit to the side.
"Dad—"
The elegant, beautiful woman beside him, her posture dignified, looked at her son with disappointment and worry. Seeing the old master's gesture, her face showed a hint of joy. "Dad, this matter can't be entirely blamed on Yuezhang. It's those people in the entertainment industry who led him astray. And Qin Song, he—"
"Enough."
Qin Mubo raised his hand, cutting off Qin Yuezhang's mother's explanation.
"This incident clearly shows someone is targeting us."
A sharp, cold glint flashed in Qin Mubo's eyes. "The people at Xingchen Film Industry definitely aren't the final masterminds behind the scenes."
"Wasn't it the Tao family who did it?"
Qin's mother was somewhat shocked.
Now her husband was arrested, and her son was constantly being pushed by public opinion towards a dangerous edge. In her view, the root cause of all this was the Tao family!
After all, over the years, among the rival factions fighting within the group, there were only those few.
"Hmph, fools."
Qin Mubo sneered. "We've all been fighting each other for so many years. Who doesn't know who?"
It was precisely because they restrained and balanced each other that the current state existed. If the Tao family had any real capability, why would they wait until now?
They would have collapsed long ago along with the people above them.
Qin Mubo simply didn't believe the Tao family suddenly had this capability.
"Crying now is useless."
He looked down at the person on the floor, his expression cold.
"Since you have connections with those 'business' people in the industry, you should have considered that you'd be implicated someday."
As Qin Mubo spoke, Qin Yuezhang's body trembled violently.
"But, I didn't participate in those things. I, at most, knew about them but didn't report them. Can all the blame really fall on me?"
Having been in the circle for so long, Qin Yuezhang more or less knew a few friends involved in gray-area businesses. These friends controlled many resources, with the flesh trade being a major part.
However, Qin Yuezhang had always been cautious. Although the ways he met several past girlfriends weren't exactly proper, their relationships were still proper boyfriend-girlfriend ones. Even if the police came to investigate him, they couldn't arrest him just because the girlfriends he associated with weren't proper, right?
Qin Yuezhang himself felt quite wronged. He hadn't broken the law and had already given each past girlfriend a proper status. Why were netizens fixating on his relationship issues?!
Qin Mubo laughed angrily. "And when those few women spoke online, you didn't dare make a peep? Others probably think our Qin family is so poor we can't even afford underwear!"
Qin Yuezhang was flushed with embarrassment by his grandfather's words and stammered an explanation, "M-mainly, I was afraid of angering them, making them recklessly implicate me..."
His matters were relatively minor. What if they exposed the black businesses of those "friends"... Qin Yuezhang was truly afraid of being beaten to death.
Those daring to do such business within the circle were all tough characters.
And obviously, Qin Yuezhang's several ex-girlfriends seized this opportunity to take turns stepping on him, brazenly revealing information while not truly exposing too much.
Everyone had their own ghosts in their hearts; it was just about who struck first.
Qin Mubo coldly watched his young grandson, snorted derisively, and delivered a harsh assessment:
"Greedy, stupid, and cowardly."
"Grandpa, I actually regretted it long ago, but I also didn't dare to expose the matter—"
"Enough!"
Qin Mubo stopped Qin Yuezhang's meaningless excuses. "More words are useless. We still shouldn't offend those people. After this matter is over, you can scram abroad."
"Now, tell me everything that has happened to you recently in detail."
Qin Mubo closed his eyes and said in an icy tone.
"I want to see exactly who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes!"