Chapter 27: Elder Sister and Little Brother

Being able to spend 20 million without blinking an eye in 1993 to buy the luxury mansion in this wealthy district beneath her feet, one can imagine her net worth.

If she truly believed in Lu Kuan’s magical powers, it would indeed be nothing strange for this talisman to be exchanged for 10 million in her hands.

Lu Kuan nodded; it was not that he was aloof, but he knew Mui Yim-fong would certainly provide a reward, so he had not deliberately sought it out.

"The Scripture of Salvation says: 'United in compassion, strangers become kin.'"

"I am practicing while living in the world, so I do not forbid my allies from becoming sworn siblings."

As he spoke, he put down his knife and fork, carefully wiped his hands clean, and then took hold of Mui Yim-fong’s cold, soft hands.

"Elder sister!"

Mui Yim-fong wept with joy, reaching across the dining table to embrace Lu Kuan, who was more than a head taller than her, sobbing as she called out "little brother."

Unable to restrain her emotions, this was already the second time she had cried today; perhaps she hadn't shed as many tears in the previous ten-plus years combined as she had today.

Sincerity is the ultimate trump card; even the iron-hearted Boss Lu could not help but be moved by this elder sister’s life story, and he began to comfort her in a low voice.

The two composed themselves and continued their meal, with Mui Yim-fong even beginning to concern herself with every detail of her little brother's life.

"Little Lu, if you have the heart to be an actor, why not come to Xiangjiang? Elder sister will find people to promote you."

She finished by observing his handsome appearance with composure: "My little brother is so handsome, I think surpassing Xie Tingfeng would be no problem at all."

If he weren't a reborn soul, Lu Kuan would really want to dive headfirst into the embrace of such a powerful backer as Mui Yim-fong, but this was clearly not the optimal solution at present.

Following Fan Bingbing’s path to struggle in the Xiangjiang entertainment circle now? That would be no different from joining the Nationalist Army in '49!

Setting aside everything else, let’s talk about the leading industry in entertainment—the high-risk, high-reward, large-scale film industry.

Xiangjiang films won widespread acclaim in the 80s and 90s for their unique style and innovative shooting techniques; martial arts films, comedies, and police-crime thrillers became the three pillars of Xiangjiang cinema during this period.

However, from 1998 to 2000, the top ten films in Xiangjiang film history were wiped out; not a single one was a Xiangjiang film. If not for Zhou Xingchi’s *Shaolin Soccer* last year, this embarrassing record would have continued until 2001.

By '99, Xiangjiang cinema had already declined to the point where it couldn't even beat the horror film *Ring* from the Land of the Rising Sun, and this year, *Infernal Affairs*, which gathered four top film emperors, would become the final fig leaf for Xiangjiang cinema.

Looking at the mainland film market, *Hero*, released this December, will pioneer the mainland’s commercial blockbusters, and the glorious era of the Chinese big screen is about to arrive.

The duck knows first when the spring river water warms; in fact, visionary Xiangjiang filmmakers had already begun laying out their plans for the mainland market, typical examples being Li Shoucheng of Emperor Group and Jiang Zhiqiang of Edko Films.

The former established an office in Beiping even before the CEPA was promulgated, and the latter even invested 30 million USD to gamble on *Hero*.

Without a god’s-eye view, no one would have expected that the development of the film industries in the two regions would undergo earth-shaking changes, and this change would begin with the CEPA agreement to be promulgated in the mainland next year.

"I plan to take the Beidian art exam in February, and after accumulating some capital and experience, I will become a director."

The USC film directing graduate, who had suffered a crushing defeat in the film industry in his past life, was full of drive!

Twenty years! Do you know how I have spent these past twenty years!

It is not strange for Mui Yim-fong that one who excels at acting would turn to directing.

She didn't want to dampen Lu Kuan’s ambition and enthusiasm too quickly, so she just calculated in her heart how she could give him a hand.

"Elder sister, don't worry, I have it all figured out."

Currently, domestic mass entertainment is still dominated by the small screen, and domestic films aren't even watched by dogs. It wasn't until the commercial film era after *Hero* arrived, coupled with the deepening of theater chain reforms, that it attracted more and more of an audience.

His goal is to first accumulate popularity, national recognition, and initial capital on the small screen, and then enter the big screen at the right time.

In addition, he plans to develop public opinion fronts using internet products like blogs; his experience in public relations in his past life forced him to value the importance of public opinion tools.

Those are good things that can build people up or destroy them at a moment's notice.

Mui Yim-fong stopped trying to persuade him and simply took a card out of her handbag; it was the reward she had asked her assistant to prepare early at the Jingcheng Industrial and Commercial Bank.

"There are 3 million in here. Whether you buy a building, a car, or start a business, elder sister supports you, but I hope you will be down-to-earth and not squander it recklessly."

She had thought about giving more, but worried that this 19-year-old youth, suddenly possessing such immense wealth, would degenerate like her two brothers who had been idlers since childhood; that would only harm him instead.

Lu Kuan accepted it without any psychological pressure: "Don't worry! I will make good use of this first pot of gold!"

"That's right, you are the little Maoshan immortal of the mainland now; I suppose you make millions every year just by fortune-telling for people."

Mui Yim-fong was in a great mood and teased this "cheap" little brother.

Lu Kuan’s expression stiffened, and he sighed: "I suppose my reputation as a charlatan has already spread throughout Xiangjiang. Elder sister, please help me block it."

The more successful his career becomes in the future, the more this "charlatan" label will become a shackle; after all, it is not something that can be presented in polite society.

"Mrs. Mui! Sister Mui is receiving guests, please wait a moment!"

"What guests? We are family, what guests are more important than us? Get lost!"

"Exactly! How are you doing your job as an agent? As a servant, don't you know how to respect Sister Mui’s family?!"

The rude shouting of one woman and two men broke the warm atmosphere; it was Qin Meijin and Mui Yim-fong’s two brothers who had barged in.

Following behind was a beautiful woman with an anxious look on her face, who secretly gave Mui Yim-fong a look.

"Man-wai, let them come over."

Lu Kuan glanced at the tall woman; this was Wang Man-wai, Mui Yim-fong’s last agent before she passed away.

After Mui Yim-fong passed away in the future, her affairs were basically handled by her makeup artist Liu Peiji and agent Wang Man-wai, who later inherited Mui Yim-fong’s charitable legacy and donated many Hope Primary Schools in the mainland.

"Little sister, we were all worried about you outside, and you’re here dating a pretty boy?"

The one speaking was the eldest brother, Mui Kai-ming, who had an ugly face to match his foul mouth.

With a "bang," Mui Yim-fong threw her cup in a rage: "Shut up! If you talk nonsense again, pay back the two million you lost gambling!"

Qin Meijin couldn't watch anymore, and ignoring the fact that Mui Yim-fong had just been diagnosed with a terminal illness, she pointed at her nose and cursed: "How are you talking to your big brother? You want to snap at your family just for this freeloader?"

The second brother, Mui Tak-ming, was about to join in when Mui Yim-fong, overcome with anger, clutched her lower abdomen and collapsed onto the iron chair, beads of sweat the size of peas rolling down her cheek.

Wang Man-wai hurriedly stepped forward to support her and took out her phone to contact a private doctor.

Lu Kuan watched this scene of vanity coldly; he had truly witnessed what it meant to be heartless and ungrateful.

However, thinking that Qin Meijin, Mui Yim-fong’s own mother, could publicly auction off her daughter’s underwear for money after she passed away, and that the mother and her two sons had turned against each other and fought lawsuits for over a decade over the inheritance, all of this didn't seem so strange after all.

(End of chapter)