Chapter 281: Good Advice Cannot Persuade a Doomed Ghost

Su Chang looked around to ensure no one was there, then gently closed the door.

They had just finished reshooting a close-up, and the makeup artists were still on set adjusting the makeup for Hu Ge and the others.

"Have you seen him lately?"

"Mm."

Liu Yifei’s makeup and styling were relatively simple, so she decided to do it herself.

She held the Shu Uemura cleansing oil, squeezed it into her palm, and applied it in even circles over her pretty face; her fingernails pressed against her fair, supple skin, while Su Chang watched, mesmerized, with her chin in her hand.

"Changchang, help me wipe around my eyes."

Television dramas often use long shots, so the eyes and lips are areas where makeup is applied more heavily to accentuate the three-dimensionality of the character's face.

"In 'The Strategic Problems of War' from Volume One of 'Dragon Slayer,' it says, generally speaking, it is better to be too early than too late."

"Because the losses of the latter are smaller than the former, and its benefits—being prepared for any contingency—fundamentally place one in an invincible position."

Su Chang was already used to her quoting literature: "Explain that?"

"Seize the opportunity, act decisively, and take the initiative."

She washed her face clean with clear water, turned back, and smiled at Su Chang: "Don't think I'm a moth flying into a flame; this is a way to break the deadlock with great wisdom!"

"Pfft!"

Su Chang ignored her best friend's arrogance and rehearsed the scene of that day in her mind:

"At Miss Liu Yifei’s eighteenth birthday coming-of-age ceremony, reporters and guests are gathered; a luxurious seven-tier cake is rolled out at the high-end cocktail party, and the host asks you to make a wish."

"Miss Liu Yifei suddenly picks up the microphone: 'Washing Machine, please come up here, I have something to tell you!'"

"'Are you willing to be with me? If you are, then from now on you can only wash my clothes; if you aren't, I’ll kill you right here today!'"

Little Liu covered her mouth and laughed: "That sounds like a movie script."

"But this might be the most exciting movie I’ve ever acted in..."

The young girl sat blankly for a few seconds, casting these worries or expectations to the back of her mind: "Let's go! I have to go back and look at the materials."

"Is it for Mr. Lu’s next movie?"

"Mm, it is..."

The two walked away chatting and laughing; the wooden door of the dressing room creaked, which made Fan Bingbing in the changing room feel a bit sour in her teeth.

Her heart felt even sourer.

She found it somewhat unbelievable, but thinking about it, it seemed like a matter of course; this was indeed Liu Yifei’s style.

The person who understands you best is always your opponent.

From beginning to end, Liu Yifei had always been a non-typical celebrity in the domestic entertainment industry.

When not working, she wore no makeup, her private clothes were casual, her interviews were spontaneous, and when she had nothing to do, she liked to "tease cats and dogs" at home.

Looking carefree and free-spirited, she actually had a streak of pride deep inside.

But from Fan Bingbing’s perspective, her choice was far from being a desperate gamble.

Others might not know, but she knew best about the secret favoritism Lu Kuan held for someone.

Just like that top-grade purple clay teapot he cherished in Liu Yifei’s hands, it made her heart ache with resentment.

On June 12, 2005, the Shanghai Film Festival opened; the annotation of "One Hundred Years of Chinese Cinema" made this grand event even more star-studded.

But looking at the title number "Seventh," it was clearly still lacking in foundation and confidence.

Given this, the Shanghai municipal government, the Shanghai Media Group, and other organizers and co-organizers came up with frequent schemes, using various connections to bring in stars, big names, and excellent films to support the festival.

As the chairman of the conference, Wu Tianmin was naturally no exception, finding Mr. Lu through his "old students" Tian Zhuangzhuang and Zhang Yimou.

Leonardo, Nolan, Morgan Freeman, and others currently walking the red carpet to the screams of the audience were his contribution.

It wasn't just the fans on-site going wild; the live stream on Wenjie Video was also flooded with flying bullet comments.

"Ahhh! Leo is here again; how does this Shanghai Film Festival have such a big face this time?"

"I heard it was Washing Machine who pulled the strings; otherwise, the scene at the centennial film festival would have been too bleak."

"It was Lu Kuan who brought them; yesterday, paparazzi took candid shots of him eating noodles with Leo and Nolan."

"Zhang Manyu from the 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' crew is here; why haven't I seen Washing Machine?"

Mr. Lu’s positioning in the eyes of domestic entertainment audiences was very strange.

His industry status was naturally high, and his net worth was obviously at the level of a diamond bachelor.

When his movies were released, one could see the massive number of fans and audience members from the explosive box office figures, but whenever he was mentioned, it was mostly with teasing and jokes.

This was mainly because he had always been spontaneous in interviews; in the audience's impression, there was no hypocritical preaching, but rather he appeared more authentic and grounded, naturally possessing more of an entertainment spirit.

Mr. Lu was currently sitting in the inner venue chatting with Harvey.

The Shanghai Film Festival had a segment called the "Golden Goblet International Film Forum."

This year, it invited Sundance Film Festival Chairman Geoffrey, Busan Film Festival Chairman Kim Dong-ho, Xiangjiang’s Jiang Zhiqiang, and the "old friend" of Chinese cinema, Harvey Weinstein.

"Lu, you are simply a genius; Mytube is on fire in the US, and your little girlfriend is on fire too."

Harvey shook his jowls, looking with no small amount of envy at the Oriental director who was full of mystery in his eyes.

Mr. Lu did not deny his positioning of Liu Yifei’s identity; if he told this white pig that he was perfectly innocent with an underage girl, would he believe it?

"From now on, our movies have one more promotional channel; it’s the internet age now, and I believe the effect will be good."

Harvey nodded: "Disney has ABC, Paramount has CBS, Fox has the Fox broadcast, Comcast has NBC, and now we have our own exclusive channel, and the audience is very young."

"By the way, the DVD dividends for the new period of 'Insidious' and 'Paranormal Activity,' as well as the final settlement for the merchandise of 'The Other Side,' have all been transferred to your company account."

The Jewish An Lushan licked his lips: "It’s a staggering number; it makes my mouth water."

A total revenue of 65 million US dollars looked unremarkable.

But compared to the extremely low production costs of the two films and the marketing expenses already recovered through the box office, the remaining DVD revenue could be called profiteering.

Mr. Lu sneered: "You gained more than I did; now that Eisner is gone and you have completely privatized Miramax, won't the sky be the limit for you from now on?"

Harvey laughed heartily; for him, the biggest gain from forming an alliance with this young director was successfully ousting the tyrant Eisner.

Miramax had special significance for the two brothers; it was a company named after their parents. If Eisner had remained in power, there would inevitably have been more complications.

"Lu, what famous Daoist temples are there in Shanghai? I want to go and see them."

Mr. Lu asked in surprise: "Are you going to betray your heritage and faith?"

"Bullshit, Judaism is something we cannot cross!" Harvey explained repeatedly: "However... I am also very curious about mysterious Oriental religions."

He felt amazed by the seemingly non-existent metaphysical temperament on Lu Kuan, especially in his decision-making regarding business, which often transcended common sense yet yielded significant results.

"The City God Temple that we went to with Leonardo and Nolan yesterday is one." Mr. Lu said helplessly.

"What!? That snack street?"

Mr. Lu explained with a serious face: "In Daoism, the City God is revered as the god who eliminates evil and protects the nation; he is an important deity who guards the city, one must not be disrespectful!"

Harvey’s eyes widened as he listened, thinking to himself that the way you and Leonardo were eating with grease all over your mouths yesterday didn't look very pious either?

"Mr. Harvey, may I interrupt?"

The two colluding friends turned around; it was Chen Kaige, Chen Hong, and Yu Peifang from Shanghai Rongjian Investment, the latter being one of the producers of "The Promise."

Harvey stood up with a humble demeanor: "Chen! Ladies, how do you do."

The great director Chen nodded at Lu Kuan with a smile, then immediately said to Harvey with a kind face: "Mr. Harvey, are you free tomorrow? I cordially invite you to attend the 'The Promise' crew cocktail party and screening in the evening to taste our Chinese cuisine."

"Good, no problem; if there are scallion oil noodles, that would be even better!"

Although Harvey couldn't control his lower body well and was quite perverted in his mental state, he still respected the Jewish dietary laws of cleanliness; noodles and vegetable oil scallion oil did not violate his taboos.

"Hahaha, no problem, see you tomorrow!" Chen Kaige was very happy; the cost of "The Promise" was too high, and they had to solve the North American copyright issue first.

The aloof great director Chen smiled politely at Mr. Lu and wanted to leave, but his wife Chen Hong knew better: "Director Lu, if you are free tomorrow, please spare some time; you are sincerely welcome."

Chen Kaige froze for a second: "Yes, Lu Kuan, come along and let's chat about movies, haha."

"Fine, I'll see tomorrow." Mr. Lu was noncommittal, watching Chen Hong’s graceful figure as she left with interest.

A dirty bastard knows a dirty bastard; Harvey nudged the young director with his arm: "Be careful of being caught by the cameras."

"Harvey, I have to keep my distance from you in the country." Mr. Lu said with foresight.

"Your reputation in China doesn't seem to be very good either, right?"

Mr. Lu shook his head, signaling to Harvey that the film festival had started.

He was thinking of the "The Promise" return incident in later generations.

In October 2005 of later generations, Zhang Weiping of New Pictures, in order to hype up Old Man Zhang’s art film "Riding Alone for Thousands of Miles," secretly leaked to the media that when running promotions in Hawaii, Harvey personally claimed that "The Promise" was crudely made and he was preparing to return it.

At that time, it was only two months before the film was released in China, which made the great director Chen so angry he cursed.

This old guy was petty; if Harvey really returned it in this life, wouldn't he shift the blame onto him?

Before he could finish his thought, Harvey had already leaned over: "Lu, your company did the special effects for 'The Promise'; give me a suggestion."

"Mm... I don't know much about Chen Kaige’s movies; you should still weigh the pros and cons from the perspective of the North American market."

Harvey spread his hands: "Alright."

This Jewish film merchant actually had a deep connection with Chen Kaige.

In 1993, "Farewell My Concubine" won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, but it was a tie; the other film, "The Piano," was a Miramax production.

Later, Harvey brought "Farewell My Concubine" to North America to campaign for the Oscars; although the film did not win the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film, it received nominations for that award and Best Cinematography.

This could be considered the poet’s final highlight moment.

The film festival opening ceremony that night was calm, and the number of online viewers on Wenjie Video dropped sharply; after the red carpet, it was truly lackluster.

It was just that when the film festival schedule and the jury members took the stage to give speeches, it caused a lot of dissatisfaction in the bullet comments.

"Are Washing Machine and Old Man Zhang not qualified to be vice-chairmen of the jury? Who are these people they chose?"

"You guys just go by seniority; finding a bunch of old men who don't know anything to divide the spoils."

"The person above doesn't understand; Lu Kuan’s 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button' is a competing film, he has to avoid suspicion."

"You're the one who doesn't understand. If it weren't for fear of a bad influence, it would be reasonable to give all the awards to *The Curious Case of Benjamin Button*. Do we really need to avoid the appearance of impropriety?"

Lu Kuan was usually teased for being lecherous and dissolute, but there were plenty of people who truly loved his films.

When encountering such injustices, they were still willing to speak a word of fairness.

After the film festival ended, A Fei drove Lu Kuan back to the luxury hotel suite at the Waldorf Astoria on the Bund, where Fan Bingbing was hunched over her desk working on the character biography for A Fen.

"You're back?"

The great actress turned her head in surprise; she was wearing silk pajamas and walked over to hug Lu Kuan's forearm.

The silk was cool and smooth, pressing against the man's arm along with her soft, delicate flesh without letting go. Ripples of light danced in the great actress's eyes as she parted her red lips slightly:

"You didn't drink tonight?"

"Xu Zheng mentioned his hometown, and he and Ning Hao insisted on dragging me out to drink, but I refused."

Lu Kuan smiled and reached his hand into the hem of her silk pajamas: "How could they understand the joy of hiding a beauty in a golden house?"

Fan Bingbing let out a soft moan as she was covered by his hot, large hand, and her whole body went limp as she collapsed into his arms: "Only you understand!"

The great actress pushed her beloved away and fished out a bundle wrapped in thick newspaper from her bag.

"Here, I bought this for you."

Lu Kuan looked bewildered: "What is it?"

"A good find I scouted out. You'll like it."

Lu Kuan weighed it in his hand, guessed what it was, and said in surprise: "You really did scout this out, just wrapping it in newspaper like that."

He carefully tore it open and laughed: "But it has a certain rustic charm, like going to Panjiayuan to pick up a bargain."

"Oh, Li Changhong? Not bad."

Lu Kuan turned the square-shaped teapot in his hands. In truth, he didn't have a deep understanding of these things; he just heard an old tea master in his past life say that purple clay was good for drinking tea.

Purple clay is a material with dual porosity; compared to ordinary ceramics or glass, it does not absorb external odors and can very well preserve the original aroma of the tea leaves.

Its own thermal conductivity is also moderate; it neither dissipates heat too quickly like metal, nor does it have excessive heat retention like certain plastic materials, making it very favorable for brewing tea.

Fan Bingbing watched him play with the purple clay with full joy, feeling an irrepressible sense of satisfaction, and her tender love seemed ready to overflow from her limpid eyes.

"Where did you get this good thing?" Lu Kuan went to boil a pot of water, preparing to scald and wash it.

"Is this very good? I don't understand it."

The young director laughed: "Actually, I don't know much about it either, but I know this Li Changhong; he's a disciple of Gu Jingzhou, and his attainments are quite high."

"In any case, I'm just using it to drink tea; it's enough."

Fan Bingbing smiled: "I went to see Master Xie Jin today. He has quite a collection at home, so I suppose this counts as snatching a treasure."

"By the way, are you free tomorrow?"

Lu Kuan carefully scalded the square teapot: "I have to go support Zhou Jielun's film during the day tomorrow, but I should be free in the evening."

"Then I'll make an appointment; Master Xie wants to see you."

"Xie Jin?" Lu Kuan was a bit puzzled.

Fan Bingbing said solemnly: "I went to visit the old gentleman today and mentioned you. He admires you very much, but he's getting on in years and couldn't make it to the film festival."

"So he entrusted me to invite you to his home for a short visit."

Lu Kuan nodded: "Alright, that's a good thing. Director Xie Jin is a role model in the domestic film industry; I should go pay him a visit."

"Fan Bingbing, help me prepare some gifts, and I'll go over with you in the evening."

The great actress skillfully took the purple clay from his hands, fished out a tea knife to pry off a small piece of Pu'er tea cake, and focused on preparing the tea for him.

Lu Kuan opened his computer to handle some official business when suddenly, a video pop-up from Liu Yifei appeared on QQ.

He glanced at Fan Bingbing calmly, and before he could speak, the great actress had already gently and tenderly handed the purple clay over.

"I'm going to take a bath; you go ahead and get busy."

After saying this, she turned around to take off her clothes without even raising her head, as if she hadn't seen Liu Yifei's avatar on the screen at all.

Within Lu Kuan's line of sight, Fan Bingbing's slender waist extended downward in a perfectly curved arc toward her full buttocks; she was truly stunning and soul-stirring.

She walked toward the bathroom on tiptoe with a graceful gait, clearly knowing she was about to take someone's video call and using the bath as an excuse to proactively give him space.

After a delay of more than two seconds, the video connected; Lu Kuan's computer now had a camera.

"You're not staying at the official film festival hotel?"

"Yeah, there are too many social obligations there; it's not quiet."

Seeing him answer the video call so openly, Liu Yifei didn't suspect anything: "I'll come straight over after I land tomorrow morning."

On April 10th of this year, the National Car Circuit Championship kicked off in Shanghai.

Taking advantage of the film festival atmosphere and the burgeoning racing scene, the film's producer, Huayi Society, was also taking an unconventional path.

*Initial D* was holding its premiere in Beijing at the end of the month, and tomorrow's promotional schedule was in Shanghai, uniquely set at the Shanghai International Circuit.

The domestic distributor was an old acquaintance, Fatty Yu, and there was also Zhou Jielun's reputation to consider, so he had to spare the time to go.

"Your filming schedule for *Zhu Xian* is so tight, why did you ask for leave to come over?"

Liu Yifei glared at him: "What's it to you? You didn't pay me a salary, so don't worry about so much."

Lu Kuan was speechless as he rubbed his chin, wondering why she was so angry.

It was because Liu Yifei liked racing, and you didn't know?

Dull man.

Liu Yifei's love for cars first broke into the mainstream at the 2006 Beijing International Auto Show, where she bought a red Ferrari 458 Spider for 4.43 million on the spot.

It was a very iconic sports car, possessing an ultra-low body and a classic red exterior.

Its performance was extremely powerful, with a 4.5L V8 engine, a maximum of 605 horsepower, and a zero-to-hundred acceleration of just 3 seconds.

"What time is your flight? I'll have A Fei pick you up."

Liu Yifei thought to herself that this was more like it: "Landing at 9 o'clock."

"Alright, fine. I need to write my script."

Lu Kuan habitually touched the purple clay in his hand, which was keenly spotted by the sharp-eyed Liu Yifei.

"You bought another one?"

Lu Kuan was speechless: "Can you not even pretend? You brought it out again; are you confessing without being asked?"

"Hehe." Liu Yifei pulled out a purple clay pot from the side like a magic trick and showed it to him on camera.

"I found this one."

The two chatted for a while, and seeing Lu Kuan start to write his script seriously, Liu Yifei hung up with a yawn.

Lu Kuan listened with a straight face to the "beep" coming from the computer, closed the Word page in a second, and stood up to stretch with lingering fear.

Time, time, slow down; don't let WeChat come too fast~~~

The video check-up method is simply unsolvable~~~

He had been chatting aimlessly with the popular young actress for over twenty minutes, while the great actress had been rubbing her body in the bath with a cold, frosty face.

Through the gaps in the blinds, watching him lean comfortably in his boss chair and flirt with the woman on the other side, Fan Bingbing couldn't help but think of the secret news she had heard in the dressing room two days ago.

Fan Bingbing's jade hands moved from her chest downward, stroking her own ice-white skin and jade-like bones, her heart filled with unbearable bitterness.

The ambition buried deep in the great actress's heart began to spread unscrupulously again, her reason and fear suppressed by the desire of jealousy.

If there was anyone in this world who could see Lu Kuan's partiality toward Liu Yifei most clearly, it was Fan Bingbing.

Liu Yifei felt a hint but couldn't be sure, but Fan Bingbing was the first woman in this world to be thoroughly conquered by him from the inside out, from body to soul.

Watching the young director rise like he was ascending to heaven over these past few years, she was more perceptive than anyone.

Although she didn't know how Lu Kuan would react when the time came, this was an excellent opportunity—an opportunity to destroy their relationship if handled correctly!

She didn't know if it was out of fear or excitement, or perhaps because a chance had finally appeared amidst the myriad thoughts and long wait, giving her some uncontrollable impulses.

Fan Bingbing couldn't help but tremble under the water, like the final shudders she felt every time she was beneath him.

On the stage of domestic entertainment, one person leaves and another takes the stage; there weren't many "chosen players" with such courage as her in later generations.

In her early years, she drifted to Beijing, made connections with the Qiong Yao girl Liu Xuehua, and thus entered the *My Fair Princess* crew, only to miss out on the lead due to some accidents;

Li Bingbing introduced her to Wang Jinhua, and she immediately recognized her as a godmother, snatching the female lead in *Young Justice Bao 2*;

Relying on Wu Yue to shed her "vase" role, she crossed three rows of seats in Paris to take a photo with Gong Li to raise her status, winning the attention of fashion brands;

Unafraid of the "black-red" background, she shouted the slogan, "I am the tycoon."

Including this life, when the young director had not yet risen to power, she traveled thousands of miles to offer herself.

From then on, she rose rapidly, firmly occupying a dominant position from a marginal role in Huayi, and became a darling of the fashion circle among domestic actresses.

With such a heaven-sent opportunity placed before Fan Bingbing, it was hard for her not to be tempted.

It was just that she knew it was difficult—too difficult—to deceive that man; one moment of carelessness would lead to the fate of Zhang Tianshuo, Liu Ze, Song Zude, Jang Na-ra, and others.

And the Big and Small Wangs, who were already on the verge of collapse in her eyes, and even the Zhou Army!

Out of blind worship for Lu Kuan, at least until Lu Kuan suffered his first major defeat, Fan Bingbing couldn't see any reason to give up on him.

But it was precisely this temptation to possess him exclusively that made the great actress start racking her brains for a way to break the deadlock.

Two more months...

"Pfft!"

"Ah!"

Fan Bingbing covered her chest in terror, only then seeing a pair of hairy legs stuck into the bathtub; the owner of the hairy legs, the hairy man, was leaning against the edge opposite her.

"What are you thinking about? You're lost in thought."

The beautiful woman bit her lower lip, her charming eyes soul-stealing: "Thinking about doing you."

"Ah?" Lu Kuan reached out and grabbed her ice-white skin and jade-like bones: "I have the exact same intention!"

——

The next day, after Lu Kuan and A-Fei finished breakfast at the Waldorf Astoria, A-Fei signaled that he would go downstairs to get the car and head to the airport first.

"Wait, I'll go with you."

Master Lu hesitated for a few seconds, thought of Liu Yifei's recent unusual behavior, and decided to play the part of a sweet companion.

I've come to pick you up in person, she should be very happy, right?

Master Lu, who felt he was well-versed in the "G-spot" of a young girl's psyche, thought to himself.

There were no professional paparazzi lurking at Pudong Airport now, but Liu Yifei's popularity was truly too strong, and he was afraid that if he were exposed, it would cause unnecessary trouble.

The former PR company boss knew the ropes well and had A-Fei park the car in P4; in 2005, the P4 parking lot was quite far from the terminal, so the probability of fans gathering there was low.

A-Fei waited early at the VIP arrival gate, watching a fully disguised Liu Yifei wave at him, though she was followed by two other girls.

He was naturally indifferent, took Liu Yifei's luggage, and led them away from the crowd to the Bentley.

"Knock knock!"

Lu Kuan was sitting in the boss's seat reading a script and didn't notice until he turned his head to see three girls standing outside the car window; the one knocking on the glass with an unfriendly expression was Liu Yifei.

"Why did you come too?"

Master Lu looked at the disgusted Liu Yifei and felt like he had picked up the wrong script.

Shouldn't you be beaming with joy!

"The three of us girls were just fine in one car, why did you come?"

"Forget it, get down and sit in the passenger seat!"

Master Lu was cut off by her, got out of the car feeling quite speechless, while Zhang Jingying and Liu Shishi greeted him cautiously.

"Hello, Mr. Lu."

"Hello, Director Lu."

"Hello, you're here to attend the event with Liu Yifei, right?" Master Lu smiled and nodded at them, his mind clear of any distractions.

He immediately turned back to tease Liu Yifei: "Or would you like to sit in the front?"

Liu Yifei gave him a roll of her eyes to interpret for himself, pulled open the car door to sit in the back row, and beckoned to studio artist Liu Shishi and her best friend Zhang Jingying.

"Come up and squeeze in, who knew someone would be so oblivious."

Zhang Jingying and Liu Shishi both kept their eyes on their noses and their noses on their mouths, not daring to say a word, and certainly not daring to laugh.

A-Fei drove onto the S32 Shen-Jia-Hu Expressway; it was the first time three girls were sitting in the car together, and the atmosphere was full of strangeness.

The 2005 Bentley Arnage R was already equipped with rear-seat displays, electric seat adjustments, heating, and ventilation, making for a quite excellent ride.

Seeing that the two people beside her were sitting stiffly with their hands on their laps, Liu Yifei forced them to lean back against the leather seats: "Why are you two so stiff? Just lie back, it's going to be over an hour."

She then simply tied her hair into a ponytail: "A-Fei, it's going to be over an hour, right?"

"Ah, yes, it's about 100 kilometers to the International Circuit."

Liu Shishi and Zhang Jingying exchanged glances, both feeling very uncomfortable; they would have been better off taking a taxi!

The luxury car was comfortable, but they didn't dare not keep their nerves taut.

Liu Yifei could be carefree and reckless, but they had to be careful about their image in the eyes of the boss/Director Lu; how could they dare not be cautious?

Lu Kuan flipped through the script in his hand, feeling the atmosphere was a bit awkward, and took the initiative to turn back: "Little... Shishi, what role do you play in 'Bad Genius'?"

"Why didn't I see you when I was reviewing the film?"

He wanted to say "Little Liu," but was glared back by Liu Yifei.

"Director Lu, I play a female student, I appear around the thirty-minute mark."

Liu Yifei also took the initiative to promote her studio artist: "Lu Kuan, I want to bring Shishi on camera for the next MyTube video."

"Ah? You should talk to Wu Ershan about that; how can I interfere with other people's work?"

"Then you just say a word to him; it won't affect the video quality, I promise!"

Lu Kuan nodded noncommittally and habitually glanced at Liu Shishi, seeing that her expression didn't hold much surprise, but rather a sense of evasion in her eyes.

Master Lu, who could see through people's hearts at a glance, chuckled inwardly; this artist of Liu Yifei's was a bit unusual.

"Jingying is here to meet Zhou Jielun to discuss the concert guest matter, right?"

Zhang Jingying answered generously: "Yes, Director Lu, I asked Xixi to bring me here; I didn't greet you beforehand."

"What's wrong with that? This is your own network and resources; you have to seize the opportunities yourself."

Lu Kuan chatted with them casually for a few sentences and then leaned against his seat to doze off; last night, the "wild horse" Fan Bingbing didn't know what had stimulated her, but she had been a bit crazy.

The group arrived at the location; Master Lu was dressed formally, buttoned his suit jacket, and walked at the very front, followed by three glamorous female stars.

They thought staff would come to pick them up, but they didn't expect Yu Dong and Zhou Jielun to be waiting inside the cordon at the entrance.

"A-Kuan! Yifei, over here."

Fatty Yu came up fawningly, his movements natural and swift: "Director Lu, Miss Liu, thank you for coming!"

"It's nothing, I like watching car racing." Liu Yifei was poised and generous in public, highlighting the confidence and elegance of the number one young actress in the domestic entertainment industry.

Master Lu smiled and hugged Zhou Jielun: "Any chance to go up and drive a few laps later?"

"Today is all professional driver performances; let's play privately another time." Zhou Jielun had played Fujiwara Takumi once and had also become addicted to racing.

The group walked inside chatting and laughing; Liu Yifei seized the opportunity to introduce Liu Shishi to Yu Dong and Zhou Jielun, and finalized the details for Zhou Jielun's "Incomparable" concert in Beiping at the end of August.

"Is it okay if Jingying sings a solo or a duet with you then?"

Da Ni, who was on the side, leaned over: "Xixi, why don't you come too? Help support Jielun."

"Me? I haven't been able to sing for a long time, haha."

"It's fine, your presence is popularity itself."

Liu Yifei smiled helplessly: "Alright then, help me practice a bit beforehand, otherwise I'll be embarrassed."

Fatty Yu led Lu Kuan in front, smiling as he introduced him to a middle-aged man coming toward them: "Mr. Lin, this is the famous Director Lu from the mainland."

Lin Jianyue was forty-eight this year, in the prime of a wealthy Xiangjiang businessman; in fact, he had long known who Yu Dong and the others were going to pick up, but he held onto his status and didn't go along.

"Hello, Mr. Lu, I've heard so much about you!"

Relatively speaking, among mainland companies, Lin Jianyue had a closer relationship with Huayi and Bona.

The former was because of collaborations on films like "A World Without Thieves," and he had participated in later films like "City of Life and Death" and "If You Are the One."

And his relationship with Bona was due to Yu Dong's own corporate strategy.

In the last two years, he had basically monopolized over 70% of the distribution business for Xiangjiang films in the mainland, but he would face challenges from the rising star Enlight Media later on.

"Hello, Mr. Lin, I've been to Xiangjiang many times but never had the chance to meet; let's have more exchanges in the future."

Influenced by the impression of Master Lu slapping Xie Tingfeng in the face in 2002, Lin Jianyue had always thought this was a young man who relied on his talent to be arrogant.

He didn't expect his conduct and style to be no less than those of the "old money" in Xiangjiang; in short, he was very humble and peaceful on the surface.

"Oh my, besides Sister Mei and Mr. Li's side, Media Asia also welcomes Mr. Lu; let's have more opportunities to cooperate in the future!"

The first meeting got off to a good start, and Lin Jianyue smilingly invited him to the rostrum, as the racing performance was about to begin.

Liu Yifei was like a child who had entered a big toy store, excitedly leaning on the railing to take photos with Zhang Jingying and Liu Shishi, and explaining the car models under the stands to them; it seemed she really liked this stuff.

Not far away, Cheng Guoqiang, Chen Guanxi, and "Poison Mosquito" were whispering to each other.

"Boss Cheng, is that the one you were talking about?"

Chen Guanxi looked at Liu Yifei, who had grown even more enchanting than she was two years ago, and looked at the young Xiangjiang tycoon in disbelief.

Poison Mosquito curled his lips: "Boss Cheng, your taste has become fresh, huh? Even the TVB beauty pageants are getting boring."

Cheng Guoqiang raised his eyebrows: "Wow, I've had enough of the foreign beauties, and the Miss Xiangjiang contestants aren't very flavorful either; this little mainland sister is the one that's alluring."

The three of them colluded with each other, raising their eyebrows in a foul manner, looking at the graceful Liu Yifei not far away, and egging Cheng Guoqiang on to go and strike up a conversation.

Cheng Guoqiang could be considered a "nouveau riche" in recent years; last time at the high-end banquet at Li Shou's house, he had been quietly countered by Liu Yifei, and now he couldn't find an excuse to socialize.

If he were to be met with cold disdain again, wouldn't it be too embarrassing for him?

But being egged on by two lecherous devils, it seemed that if he chickened out, the prestige of the "TVB pageant emperor" would fall even faster.

Chen Guanxi glanced indifferently at the suited Cheng Guoqiang and at Lu Kuan, who was laughing and talking with Lin Jianyue not far away.

Actually, there wasn't much of a grudge; it was just that there had been some small conflicts back then.

Just like Xie Tingfeng, whose heart was already like a pool of stagnant water, three years later, this Master Lu was already an existence they couldn't reach even if they tried.

Let alone seeking revenge; if you wanted to go and "touch porcelain" (provoke), people might not even bother with you.

His own family's fortunes had declined somewhat, but he could egg Cheng Guoqiang on to do some bad things, hehe.

Poison Mosquito was even less of a good bird, fat and greasy with a wretched look; he understood Chen Guanxi's thoughts, and the two exchanged a look, both wanting to see a good show.

Cheng Guoqiang walked over with confident steps, looking at the charming little mainland flower's graceful demeanor, and just wanted to reach out his "salty pig hand" to pat Liu Yifei's shoulder.

"Ah!"

He suddenly felt as if he were being clamped by iron pliers; he couldn't lift his arm, nor could he put it down, and looking sideways, he saw a cold-faced, bodyguard-like figure.

Liu Yifei and the other two girls turned their heads and were startled by the scene.

"What are you? Let go!"

Cheng Guoqiang couldn't care about maintaining a gentleman's image in front of ladies; he considered himself a person of status in Xiangjiang now, and he wasn't willing to be humiliated by such a small fry who looked like a bodyguard.

"A-Fei, why are you sparring with Mr. Cheng? Don't you know that people from Xiangjiang are good at filming kung fu movies?"

In 2005, some Xiangjiang directors and capital were still in a state of extreme personal superiority.

Especially these three: Cheng Guoqiang, the lecherous devil of TVB; Chen Guanxi, who had many old grudges; and Poison Mosquito, the piece of trash.

These three mixed together could be considered a "stinky tofu and pork intestine stew."

They thought that mainland actresses were existences they could trick into bed by just crooking a finger, and they might even do something presumptuous in public.

Lu Kuan had just walked to the VIP stand when he discovered the sneaky group, which made him have A-Fei stay close to the smiling Liu Yifei.

"Mr. Lu, isn't your bodyguard a bit unruly?"

Liu Yifei stood beside the tall Lu Kuan, feeling a sense of security, and said with disdain: "You seem to be the one who should look for the reason in yourself first."

The poisonous mosquito and Chen Guanxi "happened" to step forward: "Miss Liu, that's not right."

"We saw it very clearly just now; President Cheng just wanted to greet you, but this bodyguard started hitting people."

"I think if it really won't do, we should just call the police."

Chen Guanxi curled his lip, just about to chime in, when his eyes accidentally met those of the young director opposite; he recoiled as if struck by electricity.

Why the hell does this guy keep staring at me?

"Alright, stop acting up here."

Lu Kuan found these few nobodies rather nauseating, so he turned his head and smiled at A-Fei: "You touch everything; go wash your hands quickly."

"Yes, Boss."

Liu Yifei giggled, but seeing everyone looking at her, she felt it wasn't very polite, so she tilted her head and used Boss Lu's shoulder to block half her face.

Cheng Guoqiang was so angry that the veins on his forehead were popping; seeing the little beauty he coveted clinging to Lu Kuan's side, her head tilted in a charming, alluring smile, he felt another wave of jealousy burning in his heart.

"Lu Kuan! I have given you face time and again, but you seem to be a bit ungrateful!"

"What? You think you're a big director and you're arrogant because you have Golden Harvest?"

"Don't forget how Golden Harvest was besieged by several of our Xiangjiang companies back in the day; it's better not to be too arrogant in life, right?!"

Cheng Guoqiang is over forty years old and originally came from a background as a construction contractor, getting his start in the Hong Kong stock market by playing with shell companies.

He only entered the entertainment industry three years ago, acquiring Principal Tan and Ceng Zhiwei's Oriental Magic; his personal character and capacity cannot be called high, and he hasn't yet developed the Xiangjiang old-money skill of being subtle and hiding a knife in a smile.

This barrage of questions attracted the surrounding reporters and crew members.

"A-Kuan, what's wrong?"

Zhou Jielun walked over, puzzled, followed by Lin Jianyue.

"Mr. Lu, what is this?"

Although Boss Lu wasn't looking for trouble, he didn't mind if things got big: "Mr. Lin, this President Cheng from Oriental Magic says he wants to gather your Media Asia, China Star, TVB, and others to besiege Golden Harvest again."

"Oh no, it's to challenge Golden Harvest; what do you think?"

Lin Jianyue's face stiffened: "Nonsense, that absolutely won't happen. I feel like old friends with Mr. Lu; this must be a misunderstanding!"

He didn't care that Cheng Guoqiang's face was ugly; he put his arm around Boss Lu's shoulder and wanted to lead him away to soothe him, but the young director didn't give him that face.

"Mr. Lin, it was a pleasure to meet you today, but the weather is hot and there are too many flies; it's a bit of a mood killer."

"Jielun, Old Yu, let's meet again when you get to Beiping! I'll take my leave for today."

After Boss Lu finished speaking, he beckoned for Liu Yifei and the others to leave, leaving only an unruly back to the reporters and the crowd of stars in the inner venue.

Lin Jianyue looked at Cheng Guoqiang with displeasure; seeing the demeanor of Liu Yifei and Lu Kuan, he could guess the cause of the incident with his heel.

"There are plenty of girls from the mainland; why do you have to provoke that dragon crossing the river? He's not someone to be trifled with!"

Cheng Guoqiang watched hatefully as Liu Yifei tilted her head to talk and laugh with the man as they walked away, his mouth still stubborn: "You also say he's a dragon crossing the river? Then let's compete; I don't believe he has no projects coming to Xiangjiang. We'll see then, won't we?"

Chen Guanxi, on the side, felt joy rise in his eyes; although the process had some twists, the result was the same.

Zhou Jielun was an actor, and with Lin Jianyue speaking up, they didn't have a good excuse to interject, so they just left with dark faces.

Watching Lin Jianyue turn away helplessly, looking like he didn't want to lower himself to the level of this upstart who was used to running rampant in Xiangjiang, Fatty Yu also scoffed and returned to his seat.

Good words cannot persuade a ghost that is determined to die; no matter how arrogant you are, you probably aren't far from bad luck.

He had absolute confidence in Boss Lu's ruthlessness.

Liu Yifei followed beside the young director, looking jubilant.

With him around, there was no need to use her brain, and her courage was boundless.

"Hey! We didn't even get to see the car stunt show; what a letdown!"

Lu Kuan looked at the young girl in surprise: "I really didn't expect you to actually like cars? That's rare."

"What's so rare about it!" Liu Yifei looked proud: "When I'm an adult, I'll go get my driver's license; I want to experience the thrill of speeding!"

Boss Lu was left in a daze; he had watched her "grow up," and he didn't know where this strange hobby had popped out from.

"Lu Kuan, shouldn't you have already called Gao Jun by now and told him to lower the screen allocation for *Initial D*?"

"Why?"

Little Liu looked like it was a matter of course: "You are someone who seeks revenge for the slightest grievance; how could you be polite to Cheng Guoqiang?"

"He is just a small shareholder in this movie; there's no need to target it. *Initial D* can still be popular for a while; don't delay the cinema from making money."

Liu Yifei was speechless.

This washing machine man might be bad, but he is also greedy!

(End of chapter)