[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst":3,"chapter-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-54":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","I Became a Movie Star, and Only Then Did the System Finish Loading",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2285380,4470,"Chapter 54: Pulling the Flag as a Tiger Skin (Requesting Monthly Votes)","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-54",54,"\u003Cp>To shine in public, you must suffer in private~~\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For some reason, when the group heard Qi Hao say he had backing, they all simultaneously thought of this saying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Pfft!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao certainly isn’t that kind of person—it’s all those media outlets slandering him lately that threw us off track.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“You know capitalists? No wonder you started your own studio.” Ye Weimin suddenly understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Your own failure is terrifying, but a friend’s success is even more agonizing!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao didn’t explain, only nodded and said, “I have a friend who wants to invest in a movie for fun—he’s got plenty of money. A big-budget, big-theme film like ours might interest him. How much more do we still need?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“What does he do?” Chen Kexin had to be certain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Coal business…” Qi Hao spoke frankly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh!!!” Chen Kexin and the others exchanged glances and immediately understood.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he’s a coal boss!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Directors’ attitudes toward coal bosses can be described as love-hate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coal bosses rarely interfere in film production—aside from requesting actresses, they have no other demands and respect professionals deeply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But occasionally, they slip people in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The actresses they slip in are of questionable quality, since coal bosses’ taste is utterly appalling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Fine, two million for now is enough—we’ll see how things develop later.” Ye Weimin nodded, approving the coal boss’s entry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right now, “October Siege” doesn’t lack big capital—it lacks local tycoons.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Alright, the film festival’s coming up—I’ll give him a call.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao stood up, hurried to a quiet corner, and dialed—naturally, he called Gao Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This coal boss was impatient, repeatedly pressuring Qi Hao to find him a project.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If it weren’t for his daughter being held as collateral at Qi Hao’s studio, he might’ve already flipped out.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Precisely because Gao Yang’s daughter, Gao Fei, worked at Qi Hao’s studio, Qi Hao took extra care in finding projects.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, Qi Hao was thinking of long-term cooperation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So he didn’t want Gao Yang to get scammed once he entered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Even if “October Siege” doesn’t become a box-office smash, it should at least meet award criteria.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, Chen Kexin’s films constantly win awards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yang, there’s a project—producer is Chen Kexin, the director of last year’s ‘The Promise’; producer is Ye Weimin, who directed ‘Young and Dangerous: The Story of Hung Hing Thirteen’ and ‘The Incredible Kung Fu Master’ starring Zhou Xingxing; director is Chen Delin, who directed Fang Long’s ‘The Spy Next Door’…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before Qi Hao finished speaking, Gao Yang excitedly shouted:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Invested! Invested!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It felt like being dragged straight into the World Cup final while just wanting to watch a casual match.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’d assumed Qi Hao would first offer him a small cake to taste.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, as an actor, Qi Hao had no clout or connections in the capital circle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He never expected a royal flush right out of the gate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“The Promise,” “Young and Dangerous,” Fang Long… each name rang like thunder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yang, calm down—I need to clarify a few things.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Honestly, none of those directors or producers matter—I don’t even know what a producer or supervisor does—but I trust you. If you say invest, then invest.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang had calmed down, but his boldness remained undiminished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“First, this project has Chen Kexin—he’s capable, but he’s also notoriously greedy. Still, he’s only the supervisor; the director and producer are others, so he can’t do much. I’ll have Lao Tian keep an eye on him…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>These days, some live off looks, others live off shamelessness—Chen Kexin is clearly the latter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He’s infamous in the industry for skimming money.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But “October Siege” is Chen Delin’s lifelong passion, and Ye Weimin is a man who gets things done.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On the capital side, there’s Yu Dong and Han Sanping.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>On a film with a budget of just over one hundred million, Chen Kexin can’t squeeze out much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for the Zhonghuan City project worth forty million, that’s handled by Songjiang Film City.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“I understand—no one’s without greed, haha!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang felt a little touched—Qi Hao was genuinely thinking of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the people Qi Hao dealt with were on a completely different level of greed and audacity compared to those Gao Yang knew.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coal bosses never feared greed—they feared you wouldn’t take.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, the film industry differed from his old business; with Qi Hao vetting things, he could rest easy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Second, this film’s investment is high—total over one hundred million. Right now, we need you to invest two million. Personally, I think this movie won’t make much profit, but without a big-name actor like Li Lianjie, it won’t lose much either.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao spoke plainly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no suitable script on hand, so he didn’t want to miss “October Siege,” and wanted to find new investors—but he wouldn’t lie.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Two million? No problem!” Gao Yang agreed without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Compared to spending ten million on an artsy film with no stars or famous directors, investing in this star-studded blockbuster was clearly better.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Later, bragging about it would be incredibly satisfying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Most coal bosses couldn’t even get such an opportunity.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As his first tuition payment, if he got back even half the two million, Gao Yang would consider it worthwhile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Uh, don’t expect too much from this film—I’d only say it’s not a total disaster; calling it a classic? Doubtful.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao couldn’t help reminding him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He feared Gao Yang, in his first investment, would expect a cinematic masterpiece.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No problem, no problem—even just watching for fun is fine.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coal bosses were exactly like this—wealthy and brash, and they genuinely loved spectacle.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Qi Hao picked up the car, Gao Yang planned to throw a banquet to celebrate, saying it was Shanxi tradition—banquet plus fireworks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unfortunately, Qi Hao refused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Third, this film probably can’t slip anyone in—shooting starts in June, and most actors are already locked in.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Slip people in?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang didn’t understand.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Ahem, some investors like to slip in relatives or friends… to experience acting.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao didn’t put it bluntly—it was really about slipping in mistresses, concubines, number three, four, five, six, seven…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Coal bosses: poor, they mind their own business; rich, they take multiple wives.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“No way, don’t worry—I told you, professionals handle professional work. With you here, I trust you completely—I won’t interfere…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Then I have no issues—but before investing, Yang, you need to register a company with film investment business.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao didn’t know if Gao Yang had prepared this.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Oh, just register one for me—under Fei’s name. You don’t need to pay a cent—I’ll give you twenty percent dry shares.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang didn’t care about such minor details.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He trusted Qi Hao completely.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If Qi Hao really wanted to scam him…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hmm, do you think his billions were dug out one shovel at a time?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yang, no way, no way!”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This money felt too hot—Qi Hao still had high standards.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His cooperation with Gao Yang was mainly to hitch a ride into the capital circle, escaping the need to network over drinks.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The convenience was enough—he never intended to profit from Gao Yang.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For example, with “October Siege,” if Gao Yang invests two million, Qi Hao might lose—but his two-million-kuai acting fee will be paid regardless of whether the investment profits or not.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Taking twenty percent would tie him up too tightly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>What if Gao Yang later asked him to launder money… he’d never be able to shake it off.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Just call it a management fee—I treat you like a brother, don’t be formal.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Gao Yang insisted stubbornly—even his act of giving 20% seemed absurd, making Qi Hao uneasy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao still wanted to refuse, but Gao Yang had already hung up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Besides, the venue was filling up—no longer suitable for phone calls.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao reluctantly gave up and went to update Ye Weimin and Chen Kexin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don’t stall over two million—get ready to start shooting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Damn it, a film with a hundred-million budget can’t even afford a two-million gap without delaying the schedule—how brutal is this?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Your backer hasn’t even shown his face, and he’s already decided to invest?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Weimin was startled.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though many films boast billion-yuan budgets,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>outside a few big industry firms, most production companies invest under ten million.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A single two-million injection could definitely make money-hungry eyes light up.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“My boss is easygoing and has real money—but this is his first film investment. I hope you guys will help him gain confidence in our project, haha…”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao’s words were half-truth, half-fiction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His main goal was to tell Chen Kexin and Ye Weimin: this coal boss has money, but he’s no fool—if you want to keep working with him, don’t be too greedy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Don't worry, don't worry—does he have that kind of money?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ye Weimin crossed his index fingers, a gesture meaning ten—here, it asked whether the coal boss had a billion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How would I know? I have to be careful around him. I only know he’s doing well, very well-connected...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Qi Hao was waving a big flag as a tiger’s pelt—he’d certainly inflate Gao Yang’s status.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Qi Hao wasn’t lying.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gao Yang must be very well-connected to have gotten this far.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Moreover, he’s not like ordinary coal bosses—he clearly has the kind of character who can pick up the law as a weapon, then put it down and pick up a real one.\u003C\u002Fp>",1547,"2026-06-20T03:01:22.774Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","3bf323e3e3310fd0d870cb359569a777a1cdc4c2d23d5f01b76b7ac2b45f3f4b","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-55","i-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-chapter-53",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fi-became-a-movie-star-and-only-then-did-the-syst-cover.jpg"]