Chapter 148

Arriving in Zhuozhou, the group checked in.

Li Luo first put his things away, then took Bian Bian Xiaoxiao's luggage, sent it to her room, and helped her tidy up.

He wasn't afraid of others seeing.

After all, they were classmates; what's wrong with taking care of her!

If anyone dared to gossip.

Then they could just wait to be dealt with.

Unlike his business suite, Bian Bian Xiaoxiao's room was just a large bed room, but it was fully equipped with an independent bathroom and TV, which was quite good for a newcomer.

"How is it?"

Helping her put the suitcase away, Li Luo sat down on a chair nearby: "Can you adapt to this environment?"

"Of course, no problem."

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao opened the suitcase and took out her clothes one by one: "It's already very good. When we were filming 'Lotus', we stayed in a guesthouse, and if we wanted hot water, we had to go get it ourselves."

Colorful underwear, thongs.

She took them out right in front of Li Luo, without needing to cover anything up at all.

Anyway, the little assistant wasn't there.

"That's good."

Li Luo played with the lighter in his hand and shrugged: "Anyway, if you feel bored, just come up and find me."

Not only were the rooms different.

Even the floors they lived on were different.

"Of course."

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao opened a corner of the suitcase, picked up a red candle, and shook it at him quickly, her eyes curving into crescent moons: "I've prepared everything, and it's low-temperature too. You don't have to keep your distance too much this time."

Li Luo was so excited he flicked open the lighter with a "ding."

He hadn't even said anything yet.

This woman had already prepared everything in advance; she was just too sensible!

The trembling look on Bian Bian Xiaoxiao's face last time was still vivid in his mind; if it weren't for the noisy corridor outside, he would have loved to light the candle right then and there.

Watery ripples also appeared in the woman's eyes.

Her buttocks tightened slightly.

Recalling that hot, stinging feeling.

"Brother Luo?"

A shout rang out from outside, pulling their attention back.

Closing the lighter.

Li Luo turned his head to look out.

"Brother Yu."

He laughed and got up to greet him: "My Brother Song Song Qingshu, are you in this drama too?"

The person outside the door.

Was none other than Liu Liu Hengyu, the actor who played Song Song Qingshu in 'Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre'.

Old acquaintances meeting.

Their hands naturally shook heavily.

"That's right."

Liu Liu Hengyu shook Li Luo's arm vigorously and remarked with emotion: "I'm still your arch-nemesis in this drama."

It had been just over a year since they last met.

The three leads in the drama had all become explosive hits one after another.

Even he himself had received quite a few film offers because of the Song Song Qingshu role, but compared to the other party's explosive popularity, it could only be called a drop in the bucket; the endorsement photos all over the streets were proof.

He couldn't help but feel emotional.

"Lü Fu?"

Li Luo thought for a moment and said the name of a character in the drama.

In the script, he was one of the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guards, just like himself, and the two often clashed.

It was the kind where they fought to the death.

"That's right."

Liu Liu Hengyu let go of his hand and said with emotion: "As expected of you; I knew you must have memorized the script!"

It must be said that this Song Song Qingshu was quite handsome.

Just based on his image.

It wasn't that he couldn't play the lead.

But there was no way around it; once an actor plays a villain and fixes that impression, it's very difficult to escape the frame, and the roles that come looking for them later are basically similar in positioning.

If you don't take them, you can't make money.

But if you do take them, the image becomes even more deeply rooted.

"Hello."

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao, who had been waiting behind, extended her hand and smiled at Liu Liu Hengyu: "My name is Bian Bian Xiaoxiao, and I play Liu Shan."

"My classmate."

Li Luo added at the right moment.

Liu Liu Hengyu looked at Bian Bian Xiaoxiao and said enthusiastically: "I remember you. You came to visit the 'Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre' crew, right? You guest-starred as an Emei sect disciple later."

This memory.

Amazing!

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao nodded and praised the other party's acting skills well.

It made Liu Liu Hengyu laugh from ear to ear.

After a few pleasantries, this Song Song Qingshu didn't disturb them any further and soon smiled as he took his leave to return to his room.

A few minutes later.

Li Luo gestured for Bian Bian Xiaoxiao to follow him, and the two headed straight for the elevator.

On the first day of joining the crew, you definitely have to pay your respects.

Pressing the doorbell.

The door was soon opened by someone.

The woman standing before them was quite "thunderous," bringing a significant visual impact to Li Luo.

Because of the hot weather.

The big secretary was wearing a white shirt with the buttons undone quite a bit.

Her massive breasts were displayed two-thirds of the way, and one could even see the black lace trim inside. Since she was being so bold, Li Luo naturally stared at them for two seconds without blinking, to show his respect.

The other party didn't mind and even proudly took a deep breath.

Only then did she step aside.

It was quite lively inside; the sofa was almost full of people, and everyone was either smoking a cigar or a cigarette, making the room hazy with smoke.

"Wu Zong, Director Lai, Brother Long."

Bringing Bian Bian Xiaoxiao in, Li Luo nodded and greeted those he knew.

There were some he didn't know.

They were likely crew members.

With the lead actor arriving, everyone except Wu Dun stood up.

They smiled and shook hands with Li Luo.

Producers, assistant directors, martial arts directors, lighting, makeup.

They all introduced themselves to him.

They were about to start filming, after all!

Everyone's thoughts were actually the same as Li Luo's: come and meet the investor, blow some water.

Get familiar, right?

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao followed behind, nodding, bowing, and shaking hands constantly, busy as could be. Anyone pulled out from here had more say than her, so her attitude was respectful.

Conversely.

This was someone who walked in with Li Luo.

And a woman at that.

The crew members in the living room also greeted her politely, not daring to show any neglect.

In a crew.

Everyone understands one truth.

If your backbone isn't hard enough, you shouldn't casually offend the actresses in the crew.

Who knows who the man standing behind them is.

This was the reason Li Luo brought Bian Bian Xiaoxiao up; he wanted to declare that this woman was under his protection, so no one should mess with her.

No matter what.

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao was his woman.

This bit of face.

Still had to be supported.

He didn't care if Wu Dun's room had people or not; as long as he made a round, with the speed of gossip in the crew, those who needed to hear the wind would naturally keep the matter in mind.

Small actors without backgrounds are extremely easily bullied in various ways when mixing in a crew.

With this happening now.

It could definitely help Bian Bian Xiaoxiao fend off a lot of monsters and ghosts.

"Director Lai."

Walking up to the director, Li Luo shook his arm vigorously: "Long time no see, your beard is even more beautiful!"

"Take it easy, don't shake my old bones apart."

Lai Lai Shuiqing patted his shoulder happily, shaking his beard and laughing loudly: "It's great that Wu Zong could call you over; now I'm even more at ease with the effect of this drama."

Those who hadn't worked with him looked at Li Luo with slight surprise.

Such praise sounded sincere; it seemed he was more than satisfied with their previous collaboration.

After exchanging pleasantries.

Li Luo sat down next to the director.

Bian Bian Xiaoxiao also sat down on the sofa with excitement.

Those without enough status.

Could only sit on small stools.

This was her first time experiencing such a thing; everyone around her was a figure she usually couldn't see, and her little heart was pounding, so she subconsciously leaned toward Li Luo.

Only there could she find a sense of security.

"I was in Taiwan a few days ago."

Wu Dun reached out and opened the wooden box on the table, handing Li Luo a torpedo-shaped cigar: "I could only let A-Long offer his congratulations on my behalf. Come to your new house another day, and we'll have a few drinks."

Through Zhang Long's account.

He discovered that this little brother wasn't just Xu Qing's god-brother.

He was also unusually close with Jiang Wen and others.

With this social ability.

It was quite something.

With Wu Dun saying this, there was another round of congratulations all around.

Li Luo bowed repeatedly.

Huang Bo was truly right: when you succeed, everyone around you is a good person, and all you see are smiling faces.

When he was an extra.

The kind of things where people tripped you up behind your back.

He basically didn't encounter them now.

Li Luo perked up to deal with these people, acting politely. The higher you stand, the harder you fall—he still understood this truth, and it was far from the time to get carried away.

He was also prepared to warn Bian Bian Xiaoxiao: when mixing out there, don't let others bully you, but don't bully others by relying on power either.

Especially don't drag his name around to cause trouble with others.

If she acted arrogant now.

She would soon become a jumping monkey.

Ridiculed by others.

There aren't many actors who can go far if they start throwing their weight around as soon as they get popular.

Old rules.

After joining the crew, it's time for makeup photos.

The investment this time was quite significant, as could be seen from the exquisite costumes; they were much more gorgeous than the previous dramas he had filmed, and the details were handled quite well.

His attire followed two main routes.

First, highlighting martial prowess.

Wearing shimmering golden armor, paired with white robes, with a tight waist guard, his slender yet sturdy physique was fully revealed.

With a golden cape hanging behind him, he looked full of dominance.

It was handsome enough.

It's just that Li Luo couldn't help but tug at his collar; it was still September, and the "autumn tiger" heat was still quite fierce. The feeling of being dominated by the scorching sun in Panyu soon flooded his mind.

Even with the AC blowing, he still felt hot inside.

"Brother Luo."

The photographer turned his head and comforted him: "Please wait a moment; just two more sets of photos and we'll be done."

He thought the other party was getting impatient.

"It's fine, take your time."

Li Luo held his sword and stood sideways: "I just feel a bit hot."

"Click."

The photographer captured his perfect profile.

Before he could speak again, Zhang Long had already notified the field manager to turn the AC temperature down further. In this drama, he held the position of producer, assisting with the crew's daily work.

As the name implies.

To put it bluntly, it's a supervisor.

Responsible for controlling the crew's costs and not letting the director get hot-headed and mess around.

It's just that his was a leisurely job; Wu Dun and Lai Lai Shuiqing hadn't collaborated just once or twice, so there was no need to say much about what to do. The investor's nickname was "Ghost Fear," not the coal boss who would later get scammed to death.

And then.

It was time to show the murderous side.

The male lead, Liu Huo Xuan, was one of the commanders of the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

He was the sharp blade in Empress Lü's hand.

So a black robe with gray-silver accents was perfect. He didn't know what kind of craftsmanship was used, but when the lights hit it, it shimmered with tiny fluorescent dots.

Li Luo brewed his emotions and looked coldly at the lens.

His posture was straight.

Giving people a feeling of sharp edges.

Wu Yu also held her camera and snapped a few handsome photos. By now, she was in contact with over a dozen fan club managers, basically spread across all major cities.

These behind-the-scenes photos.

After Li Luo checked them, they would be shared in various groups.

It was a benefit for the fans.

Another ten minutes passed, and Li Luo's makeup photos were finally finished. He changed into a set of sportswear to prepare for the next day's opening ceremony.

The next morning.

The early September sun in Zhuozhou was brilliant.

The already lively film city was even more restless today.

The business minibus stopped.

Media reporters carrying long guns and short cannons stepped out of the car one after another. Looking at their credentials, not only were there major portal websites, but even local print media had come in large numbers.

Among peers, it's not necessarily competition.

Especially for things like opening ceremonies or press conferences, the atmosphere is always harmonious.

A gust of wind blew.

Making the work badge of the Southern Metropolis Daily flutter.

Her tight jeans attracted many gazes. Sun Qian had long been used to this kind of sight; she took off her sunglasses, squinted at the sun, and looked at the boiling press conference scene ahead.

"Sister Sun."

The assistant who got off the car looked around, her tone excited: "There are really a lot of people here today; all the major media are basically here."

"That's for sure."

The photographer behind followed and remarked with emotion: "You don't see how popular 'Heaven Sword and Dragon Sabre' is. The drama that aired in March is still being rebroadcast on various TV stations; I estimate the annual ratings will rank in the top five!"

"Now that the three leads have reunited, the topicality and attention are super high."

"Even without public relations fees."

"I estimate there won't be a shortage of people fighting to come and interview."

"Ahem!"

Sun Qian coughed heavily, interrupting the photographer's words.

Even if giving red envelopes is an industry convention, it's not something that can be said in public. After all, the media still needs to maintain a good image; everything is to bring the latest information to the readers, right?

That's the most important thing.

As for public relations fees, that's something the organizer insists on stuffing into their hands, so it's not good to dampen their spirits.

Composing herself.

Sun Qian took the lead and walked forward.

Guided by the crew staff, Sun Qian and her assistant arrived at the corresponding seats at the press conference. As for the photographer, he naturally had to set up his machine and start collecting news material.

Media, film city leaders, and crew leadership took their seats one after another.

Amidst a round of applause, the host appeared.

After a few cliché opening remarks, the next was a lion dance performance to warm up the scene.

The Southern Lion team specifically invited by Wu Dun from Chancheng performed very eye-catchingly. When they leaped onto the high poles, the thrilling movements drew constant exclamations, and flashbulbs lit up frequently.

This opening program alone made the live audience feel it was well worth it.

The performance ended quickly.

The high poles were moved away, and the lion dance troupe exited.

"Dong-dong-Bao Qiang, dong-dong-Bao Qiang, dong-dong-dong-Bao Qiang!"

The sound of gongs and drums didn't stop; instead, the sound went from low to high, and the rhythm became increasingly urgent.

"Next, let's invite."

The host held the microphone and shouted to the audience below:

"The long fist performance brought by Li Luo."

"Dong~"

The drum sounded heavily.

A black figure was seen running out quickly from behind the scenery board on the side. After sprinting a few steps, he performed a clean and crisp front flip, and with a "bang," his feet stood firmly in the middle of the stage.

The drumstick struck heavily, and the lion drum roared again.

Li Luo turned his head sharply.

His gaze fixed on the location of the dozen or so cameras, and he struck a starting pose for long fist in time with the drumbeat.

It wasn't just Sun Qian.

The jaws of everyone at the scene basically fell to the ground.

Thanks to Brother "Yuanjun" for the 1000-point reward, thank you!