[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta":3,"chapter-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-90":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Playboy of Huayu: How Did a Celestial Immortal Transform Me?",{"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},2297716,4495,"Chapter 90: The Lurker Zhang Ruoyun","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-90",90,"\u003Cp>In an office building in the West City, Zhang Ruoyun was excitedly recounting his two weeks of life on set in his father's office.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Dad, you have no idea, that final skull light beam hitting down from above Mr. Feng's head was just incredible! So this is how movies are actually made!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian chuckled and said, \"As long as you can learn something, that's fine. I heard you even found a teacher.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yeah, his name is Huang Bo. Although Mr. Huang's appearance is a bit unique, his acting skills are great. Even Director Lu keeps praising him.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian was quite satisfied with this matter, which had been facilitated by his \"ex-wife.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the trade of learning arts, there is a rule of \"exchanging children to teach,\" because no matter how much one's own child flaps their wings within the parent's sphere of influence, they will never grow into an eagle that can soar.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He checked his watch and said to his son, \"I have a guest coming in a moment. You go to the second floor first to see how television shows are edited and learn a bit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ruoyun had been exhausted on set these past few days, so he rubbed his eyes and said, \"Dad, I got up too early this morning. I'll go into the inner bedroom and sleep for a while; it's been too tiring on set lately.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Don't ask why the boss's office comes with a bedroom; for officials within the system and corporate bosses who are busy as a hen with a thousand chicks, having a hidden bedroom with a double bed, dragon-and-phoenix chairs, and the like is quite normal.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hmm, go ahead, and don't make any noise.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After about two minutes, Zhang Jian stood up with a beaming smile as he watched Liu Zeyu push the door open and enter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Liu! A pleasure to meet you. I apologize for not welcoming you sooner.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The person who arrived was none other than Liu Zeyu, dressed in a well-tailored, high-end suit. Regardless of anything else, the bearing and appearance of this entertainment company boss were among the best.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian was not deceived by his dashing, capable temperament and uninhibited smile; this type of \"young master\" of a government official was the most troublesome.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Unlike the courtyard children in the capital, whose roots were all under the imperial city walls and who could still negotiate or reason when conflicts or needs arose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Young masters like Liu Zeyu had no stable thoughts of settling down or developing slowly; they would exploit one place for one term, never leaving empty-handed, and usually acted without regard for the consequences.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Zhang! Long admired, long admired!\" Young Master Liu sat down heavily on a single sofa, crossed his legs, and flicked the watch chain that had slid down from his wrist.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Zhang, I've long heard that your Dream Zhou Club is a great place for exercise. If you're welcoming, I'll bring a few of my father's friends to join in the fun next time.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian had a kind and benevolent face and said politely, \"I couldn't ask for more, Young Master Liu! As the saying goes, build a nest to attract the phoenix. If you and the various leading comrades didn't grace us with your presence, wouldn't this club be unworthy of its name!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Hahaha, Director Zhang is too good with words.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu thanked the secretary who handed him a teacup with great gentlemanly flair, his eyes sweeping over her rounded little buttocks before he gently blew on the floating leaves in the hot water.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing him change his address from \"Mr. Zhang\" to \"Director Zhang,\" Zhang Jian knew the real business was about to begin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu set down his teacup with composure, sighed pretentiously, and said, \"To tell you the truth, Director Zhang, I've come this time to do a deal with you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Please go ahead, Young Master Liu.\" Zhang Jian feigned ignorance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It's a bit embarrassing to say, but since you are an insider, Mr. Zhang, I won't hold back.\" Liu Zeyu gave a self-deprecating laugh with a pretentious air.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I have a little sister from an uncle's family who just got into the Beijing Film Academy this year. I want to do my humble best to pave the way for her. After all, you know how hard it is for a new actor to make it in this industry.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian understood the hidden meaning behind the words and chuckled, giving a thumbs up: \"Mr. Liu, a fair lady is a gentleman's quest. It seems this is a touching story of a young master's deep affection, haha!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Zhang, I'll be blunt: please hand over the adaptation rights for *Sword Fairy* to me. The price is negotiable.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was hardly the tone of someone doing business; it was typical of a young master accustomed to forcing sales.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ruoyun, inside the room, was startled and sat up in fear.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Sword Fairy*? Wasn't that the reward his stepmother promised to Director Lu?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He tiptoed off the bed and pressed his ear against the door to eavesdrop on the conversation outside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The teenage boy, still wet behind the ears, had a simple sense of right and wrong. Having been well-cared for by Lu Kuan on set, he felt like a part of the team and spared no effort in participating in everything from odd jobs to bit parts, gaining a sense of involvement and belonging.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian was also secretly calculating the ins and outs of the matter.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After the deal between Liu Bei and Lu Kuan was reached, Yongyule demanded a valuation of 1 million for the *Sword Fairy* adaptation rights to offset part of the company's debt to Zhang Jian.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In all fairness, the price demanded by Yongyule was very high.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>*Sword Fairy* was the industry's first example of a game-adapted television series. Before this, no one knew the huge profit prospects of such IP, nor whether this new genre of Xianxia could be accepted by the market.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Bei thought of breaking even to do Lu Kuan a favor, but Zhang Jian did not think so.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was a qualified businessman; he hated taking losses and could never get enough of taking advantage!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had no interest in this overly alternative and groundbreaking script subject, yet he insisted without concession that Yongyule Company lower the valuation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After all, the lower his purchase price, the higher his profit when selling it to Lu Kuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I suppose this is the difference between a literary actor and a businessman director.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The situation was deadlocked for a time. Wang Yongle was an old gambler, and now, as someone with nothing to lose, he would rather have it auctioned off by the court than agree to sell the *Sword Fairy* adaptation rights cheaply.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing Liu Zeyu's tone, Zhang Jian realized he clearly didn't know that the adaptation rights of Yongyule had not yet changed hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately decided to first reach a transfer agreement with Wang Yongle to offset part of the debt with the *Sword Fairy* adaptation rights, and then \"select the best\" between Liu Zeyu and Lu Kuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Liu, I need to use the restroom. Please excuse me for a moment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian had his female secretary refill the tea and turned to walk into the bedroom.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Glancing at his son sleeping on the bed, Zhang Jian quickly dialed a number: \"Contact Wang Yongle, agree to his 1-million asking price, and hurry up and sign the contract.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sound of the flush toilet echoed, and Zhang Jian walked out, wiping his hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Mr. Liu, as far as I know, your company was just established, right? Are you buying these adaptation rights to produce it yourself, or?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu laughed: \"That's no need for you to worry about, Director Zhang. I've contacted a film and television company in Shanghai, the same one that produced *Book and Sword, Gratitude and Revenge*.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian nodded in understanding. He was also a television director and had been immersed in the industry for a long time; he knew Liu Zeyu was talking about Tangren Media.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The subject matter and tone of the *Sword Fairy* adaptation did indeed fit the consistent style of Tangren's works.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the first decade of the new millennium, the initiative for most film and television projects still rested with screenwriters who had transitioned from being writers and with film and television companies. Different production teams had different strengths in subject matter due to the differences in their main directors, screenwriters, and actor teams.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Beijing-circle film and television companies like Huayi and Dream Zhou Media mostly produced television series with military themes. Later works like *Soldiers Sortie* and *My Chief and My Regiment* were deep collaborations between Huayi and screenwriter Lan Xiaolong.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian's Dream Zhou Media had representative works such as *Snow Leopard*, *Black Fox*, and *Thunder Sword*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Haiyun Media, founded by Liu Yanming and Hai Yan, mostly focused on adaptations of novels by Beijing-circle writers like Hai Yan, Wang Shuo, and Ma Weidu, from the earliest *Stories of the Editorial Department* and *Yearning* to later works like *Never Close Your Eyes* and *Jade Goddess of Mercy*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the 90s and early 2000s, \"Hai Yan dramas\" were absolute star-making machines, propelling stars like Lu Yi, Sun Li, Xu Jinglei, and Tong Dawei to fame.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Apart from the Beijing circle, there were two other television production companies currently in the country that were most familiar to the post-90s generation: Zhouyi and Tangren.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhouyi's style was known for martial arts, while Tangren established its path of ancient idol Xianxia starting with *Sword Fairy*.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Under the matchmaking of Wang Xiaolei, Liu Zeyu had made contact with Tangren. The latter couldn't wait to start planning the project, and the full confidence of this local young master meant Cai Yinong didn't have to worry at all about obtaining the adaptation rights.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian was determined to see how much sincerity Liu Zeyu had, so he feigned difficulty: \"Mr. Liu, if you had spoken up even a day earlier, we would have handed over these adaptation rights with both hands. It's just that we have indeed already promised someone else, this...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu sneered inwardly: If you hadn't promised Lu Kuan's Wenjie Culture, I wouldn't have come to intercept it!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His first secret plot against Lu Kuan with Zhang Jianting had been broken at the last minute, and he had watched as Lu Kuan took a step ahead of him, coveting his \"forbidden fruit.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When had a young master ever suffered such an insult? He decided to follow Wang Xiaolei's suggestion and approach the path-leading Lu Kuan through multiple channels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The action of tipping off Zhang Tianshuo's underlings in society had been going on for several days; anyone with a hot head would definitely have gone straight to seek revenge on Lu Kuan.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hearing the evasiveness in his words, Liu Zeyu raised an eyebrow: \"Mr. Zhang, other things are easy to discuss, but you must give me face on this matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A hint of anger appeared perfectly on Zhang Jian's face; he spoke of asking others to give him face, yet never thought about whether his own words gave others face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The young master's previous dashing disguise was instantly stripped away, revealing his ferocious true colors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu was not someone who only knew how to use power to pressure others. Zhang Jian's parents were experts in the field of domestic geological environments, and there was no lack of university professors and senior government advisors among them who received State Council allowances. It would be troublesome if he provoked them too much.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Zhang, how about this? I have quite a friendship with the two Mr. Wangs at Huayi.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Liu Zeyu gave a stick, not too heavy, and then offered a sweet date.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Feng has a commercial film, *Cell Phone*, that he plans to start shooting after the New Year. It's currently in the planning stage. When the time comes, I'll pull some strings and see if you can get a share.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian's eyes lit up at these words. Since the emergence of the astonishing masterpiece *Hero*, industry insiders and social hot money had begun to cast interested eyes on the restless domestic film industry.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Investors, of course, wanted to minimize risks as much as possible, so the targets for film investment were very limited. Currently, the ones with guaranteed box office in the country were those few big directors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And at this point in time, Feng Xiaogang's box office guarantee even exceeded other first-tier directors.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In 1997, his *The Dream Factory* broke through the encirclement of Hollywood blockbusters that year with a box office of 36 million, becoming a savior for the domestic film market and creating the concept of the \"New Year's slot.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian's ex-wife, Liu Bei, was the lead actress in *The Dream Factory*. How could he not know the strength of \"Little Steel Cannon\" and the Beijing-circle crowd behind him, like Huayi?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seeing him knitting his brows, Liu Zeyu felt secretly smug; this family-inherited combination technique of stick and date never failed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The world is driven by profit; he couldn't think of any reason for Zhang Jian to refuse.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Jian, on the other hand, was ecstatic inside. This move would kill three birds with one stone: not only could he earn a handsome price difference on *Sword Fairy*, but he would also have the opportunity to participate in Huayi's film project, and even gain the friendship of the young master.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As for whether he would offend Lu Kuan, he didn't even consider it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ruoyun, inside, only understood half of what he heard. He could only tell from the other party's tone that this was the condition Liu Zeyu had set for his father, and for a moment, he couldn't see his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But at this moment, Zhang Jian's silence was deafening; it seemed the scales of victory were inevitably tipping toward Lu Kuan's enemy.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Zhang Ruoyun knew he couldn't wait any longer, so he covered his head with the quilt and dialed Lu Kuan's number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",2360,"2026-06-20T06:05:17.358Z",1,"Gemini 3.1 Flash Lite","88d8f62c43dbbb14ff1b32d7693bbc66e28bb1cc6fcc0e4d8e7e728a584709a1","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-91","the-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-chapter-89",343,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-playboy-of-huayu-how-did-a-celestial-immorta-cover.jpg"]