Chapter 8: Asking the World?

The two of them grew up together in a wild Daoist temple within the borders of Zhenjiang, and Zhuang Xu was later adopted by a local couple.

At this moment, his dialect, used for cursing, burst forth unintentionally; he was truly furious at his junior fellow apprentice for failing to live up to expectations.

"Senior fellow apprentice, believe me, I'm working on a film crew now, walking the straight path, doing good deeds!"

Zhuang Xu was somewhat speechless; naturally, he did not believe it: "Stop blustering, you can fool others, but not me."

"Really, it's that *Legend of the Condor Heroes* crew. They're recruiting actors at the Wuxi Water Margin City. I'm going over to play a bit part as a Daoist priest—it's a natural fit."

"If you don't believe me, I'll have Zhou Xun call you tomorrow. You can recognize her voice, right?"

Zhou Xun had become a household name after *Palace of Desire*, so Zhuang Xu was naturally no stranger to her.

It was just that the first camera phone, the Nokia 7650, hadn't been released yet; otherwise, he would have definitely taken an intimate photo with the two beautiful ladies.

Such a photo would serve as an endorsement for his own business and help him quickly gain a foothold in the entertainment industry.

"Fine, send me the details. Let me know before you come to Jingcheng; I have a place for you to stay here."

"Got it! Boundless blessings to the Dao."

"Get lost!"

Zhuang Xu put down his phone with a headache, unable to do anything about this junior fellow apprentice who was as cunning as a ghost. Not long after, a message came in.

Company Name: Wenjie?

What kind of ghost name is that?

Lying on his bed, Lu Kuan played with his phone triumphantly, sending messages to Jiang Qinqin and Zhou Xun to tell them to be safe tomorrow, while secretly feeling proud of the company name he had chosen.

To ask of the affairs of the three realms, to resolve the doubts of the eight directions!

How good, it doesn't sound like a scam company at all!

The clock of life turned back to 2001, making Lu Kuan determined to grasp both entertainment and capital in his development strategy.

He had to use the experience from his past life to accumulate capital well, as well as to build a position of public opinion in the internet age.

He also had to throw himself into the fray, not abandoning his original intention from his past life of growing from the Beijing Film Academy to the University of Southern California to become a top-tier director!

At Tiger Hill in Suzhou, the *Legend of the Condor Heroes* crew began setting up the scene early; this was the third day since they had transferred here from Wuxi.

The stagehands were no longer surprised to see the director's team leaders all pitching in, splitting up to inspect and supervise, not letting a single detail slip.

Especially the production manager Meng Fanyao, who had somewhat overstepped his authority to take on the duties of an assistant director, directing the scene with a stern expression.

This was because he had been frightened by the little Daoist priest.

Ever since he learned from Zhang Jizhong about the lawsuit Wang Rui had filed, Lu Kuan's previous judgment of the situation had become more convincing; how could he dare to treat it lightly?

Zhang Jizhong was in his RV studying the *I Ching* that his assistant had bought from a bookstore. The space inside the vehicle was average; domestic RVs in this era were just getting started, and the technical level was relatively low.

The bearded man's RV was a Zhongtian Star TC5040XLJ product from Zhongtian Special Vehicles, which had just been established in May of this year. It had a Nanjing Iveco chassis and a 2.8T diesel engine, barely meeting the current National II emission standards.

A knock on the door sounded.

"Please come in!"

Meng Fanyao smiled and said: "Director, everything is ready. We can return to Wuxi once we finish today."

Zhang Jizhong looked up at him, his hand still moving like a dragon or snake, circling and annotating the "Hexagram of Stripping" that Lu Kuan had mentioned.

"As long as nothing is wrong, don't be careless."

"Yes!" Meng Fanyao, very perceptive, stepped forward to refill the teacup, glancing at the producer's reading material.

"Director Zhang, you're really studying this? I think that kid is mostly just blowing hot air."

Zhang Jizhong was noncommittal: "No matter what others say, it is always right for us to do our own work well."

Meng Fanyao nodded repeatedly in agreement. This little Daoist priest had actually played a positive role; at the very least, the atmosphere of the crew had taken on a new look these past few days, and no one dared to slack off.

Zhang Jizhong was by now immersed in the mysteries of traditional Chinese studies, struggling to ponder the phrase "Stripping the bed by the feet, contempt, divination is ominous," unable to find an answer...

"Careful!"

"Yapeng!"

Suddenly, several exclamations came from outside the vehicle, followed by a miserable scream from Li Yapeng. Meng Fanyao was terrified out of his wits; he didn't even have time to say a word before scrambling down the vehicle in a panic!

"What's going on!"

What met his eyes was Li Yapeng already fallen to the ground, howling in agony, with varying degrees of contusions on his right leg and arm, but that painful expression was clearly not something that could be caused by mere superficial wounds.

"Yapeng!"

Zhou Xun pushed through the crowd to his side, her anxious expression plain to see. Li Yapeng's face was deathly pale from the pain, his lips devoid of color, and he smiled miserably: "It's nothing, it should just be a bruise."

Jiang Qinqin walked over and pulled Zhou Xun slightly; there were too many eyes and ears, and she was afraid that Zhou Xun's affair would be exposed.

An ambulance arrived with a wail. The doctor performed a simple examination and then ordered the nurses to take him back to the hospital for treatment.

Zhang Jizhong had the composure to remain calm in the face of major events, perhaps because he had been mentally prepared by the little Daoist priest's prophecy. He found himself laughing and crying at how stable his emotions were at this moment.

If he had met Lu Kuan earlier, perhaps Wang Rui wouldn't have been fired by him.

"Doctor, what is the situation?"

The middle-aged doctor accompanying the patient let out a heavy puff of white air; the atmosphere in the cold winter became even more solemn, and the crew members waited quietly for his initial judgment.

If it were a serious injury like a fracture that required a cast, the filming schedule would be delayed indefinitely.

"Initial judgment is a right foot ligament injury and a right knee meniscus injury. The specific extent will only be known after the X-rays are taken."

Meng Fanyao asked: "Does a meniscus injury require a cast?"

The doctor had no time to pay attention to them and stepped onto the ambulance: "It depends on the situation. If the damage is too severe to be sutured, it might require surgery to remove a piece."

Leaving only the production manager in a state of disarray, his heart feeling cold and desolate...

Zhang Jizhong's expression changed abruptly, his brows twisted like a pretzel, and the little Daoist priest's judgment suddenly echoed in his heart.

"Stripping the bed by the feet, contempt, divination is ominous. In short, if the legs of the bed rot, they will fall off; this is a matter that damages the foundation."

He then thought of Li Yapeng's right foot and right knee injuries just now...

The producer, born in 1951, even though he had entered the age of knowing one's destiny, was still inexplicably terrified, his hair standing on end.

This was the natural fear that humans have for the unknown.

"Old Meng! Organize everyone to handle the aftermath. I'm going back to Wuxi first."

He had to find Lu Kuan immediately to seek a solution in person; the crew could no longer afford to be tossed about.

Zhou Xun had changed her clothes and grabbed the car door of Li Yapeng's older brother and manager, Li Yawei: "Brother Yawei, take me with you!"

"Zhou Xun, you'd better wait. The hospital will definitely be full of reporters later, you..."

His meaning was obvious; both of them were in the development stage of their careers, and it was still unknown to what extent this relationship had developed and whether it was the right time to make it public.

Jiang Qinqin also held onto her tightly: "Have you forgotten what Lu Kuan said? He told you to stay in the hotel no matter what happens and not to run around."

Zhou Xun was stunned for a moment, but unfortunately, she was just that kind of self-centered and proud woman who only followed her own heart to go through fire and water; how could she care about so much?

"No, I must go!" Saying this, she got into the car and slammed the door shut.

The rear wheels of the Santana 2000 violently flung the rainwater off the ground as it sped away.

(End of chapter)