The van headed back to the villa. Xiao He felt like he had forgotten something, but he was still thinking about the absurd scene of "a gathering of heroes" at the audition. So he asked Sister Liu for his laptop and started investigating in the van.
It's easy to understand why producer Tung Chung was so ruthless. After all, anyone who knows Hong Kong at that time knows how rampant gangs were. There were over fifty gangs of all sizes. Later, many people like Tung Chung cleaned up their ways and went straight. In the end, they transformed into producers and big bosses, washed their hands clean, and came back to the entertainment industry, able to live openly and honestly again.
Needless to say, these people are extremely efficient and clean in their methods. They have long been dealing with the government and have developed their own set of survival rules. Xiao He's current investigation may not yield as much evidence as the police have.
As for Feng Zhengyang, that's even easier to understand. He was most likely the culprit who caused his lover's mysterious disappearance back then!
Unfortunately, Xiao He was unable to find any useful clues using his hacking skills. After all, the police knew he had problems and had investigated him many times. They had already figured out the clues that should have been found and the clues that shouldn't have been found. It was impossible for Xiao He to find out everything as soon as he arrived.
but......
Xiao He had a vague intuition that something unusual must have happened when these people came to the mainland entertainment industry to film a movie.
This situation makes it seem like something is about to be exposed and they're preparing to make a big profit and run away.
If that's the case, many things can be explained, such as zombie-themed scripts, casting decisions that prioritize capital over acting skills, and elaborate audition marketing...
When Xiao He examined their behavior again at this point, he felt that these people were very anxious, extremely anxious.
Thinking this, Xiao He looked at the list of "victims" circulating online again, and then nodded with satisfaction: Hmm, not bad, not bad, they are all people I don't have a good impression of, and they all have some problems.
Although he didn't know what stage the police investigation was at, judging from how eagerly these people were to make money, Xiao He felt that they definitely wouldn't be able to keep up this for long.
To avoid alerting the police and disrupting their plans, Xiao He only sent a few anonymous tip-offs and then refrained from further action.
Honestly, I hope these guys won't be unlucky enough to get wiped out when the movie is released.
...Ahem, Xiao He absolutely refused to admit that he was gloating.
Sure enough, sometimes it really does come true – "The Chinese entertainment industry has no rivals; it's all thanks to the contrast provided by its competitors."
Just as Xiao He was imagining what would happen next, his phone suddenly rang.
Looking at the notes, Xiao He suddenly remembered something he had forgotten.
"Damn it, you think you can just abandon your brothers after you got the audition?" Liu Zehang's voice rang out. "You heartless bastard, I've been wrong about you after all—"
"Ahem, sorry~ This meal is on me, it's on me!"
Xiao He was a little embarrassed, so he quickly arranged to meet Liu Zehang at a nearby restaurant.
When Liu Zehang arrived, Xiao He noticed that there was another person with him.
The person didn't look very old; even with sophisticated and mature makeup, their baby face still made them appear much younger.
"This is my new agent, Cheng Xue," Liu Zehang introduced.
"Hello, Teacher Xiao. Hello, Sister Liu."
Cheng Xue greeted Xiao He and Liu Rulan politely.
Liu Rulan looked somewhat surprised, then nodded slightly: "Hello."
Xiao He nodded as well.
Liu Zehang walked up to Xiao He and said with a smile, "Don't let Cheng Jie's young age fool you. She's a mother of two now, and her business skills are super strong. I had to go to great lengths with the company to snatch her away."
Xiao He exclaimed in surprise, "Huh?"
Looking at that baby face, he thought this person was a new agent who had just graduated from university!
Liu Rulan also spoke up at the right time: "Xiaoxue is only one year behind me, so we are about the same age."
Cheng Xue smiled and said, "Yes, it has been a long time, Sister Liu."
Liu Rulan: "I thought you really intended to focus all your attention on your family."
Cheng Xue shrugged nonchalantly: "I'm divorced, so I have to go out to work and earn tuition fees for my child."
Liu Rulan paused for a moment, then said nothing more: "Welcome back."
"Thanks."
The group walked and talked, then entered the private room they had reserved in advance.
Liu Zehang asked Xiao He about the audition results: "How do you think of this audition? I have a bad feeling about it. Now it's up to you to prove your brother right."
Xiao He shrugged: "I have no hope."
Liu Zehang asked doubtfully, "Are you so sure?"
"I'm pretty sure, but I don't know if you've pulled any strings on your end."
"Damn it," Liu Zehang muttered under his breath, "Isn't this fair competition? Do we really need connections?"
"Yes, I suspect that many people go there simply because they're lured there to generate traffic."
"What? Really?"
Liu Zehang was somewhat incredulous, or rather, he couldn't understand the reason why a big director would do such a thing. After all, this matter couldn't be kept secret forever, and once everyone realized what was happening, Director Feng's image and reputation would be affected.
If Director Feng wants to make movies and find actors again in the future, it won't be as easy as it is now.
"Just wait and see," Xiao He said. "Given the marketing tactics they've used recently, we'll definitely hear about it tonight, and the candidates might even be more than we imagine."
"Anyone will do as long as it's not Chen Yulin," Liu Zehang said without hesitation.
Xiao He: "Hehe."
If that's true, that would be wonderful; one virus could infect an entire colony.
Since no one drank alcohol, the meal ended quickly. However, before they even left the restaurant, the final results of the audition were already announced online.
Upon seeing that name, Liu Zehang immediately exclaimed "Holy crap!"
"How could it really be him?"
Staring at the name "Chen Yulin," Liu Zehang gritted his teeth in anger: "Damn it! How could it really be this kid? This is truly an insult."
Liu Zehang can accept being fairly eliminated by someone with better acting skills than himself, and he can also accept that his two good brothers both failed the audition and became brothers in misfortune, but he just can't accept that this guy succeeded in the audition!
Chen Yulin? Haha, what a joke. Guess why, despite having such great resources, he's always been a supporting male character instead of a lead? Is it because he doesn't want to?
Although Liu Zehang was overshadowed by Chen Yulin's popularity, he has always been confident in his acting skills.
What happened this time?
【Ahhh, it really is Xiao Chen! That's great! I can't wait!】
【Congratulations, Xiao Chen! You've now worked on a film directed by a famous director! That's fantastic!】
【Rumor has it that Liu Zehang, Su Ji, and Le Yuanbai also auditioned. Our Xiao Chen's acting has really improved!】
【What? So those other people auditioned too? That's fantastic! Some people were always being sarcastic, saying our Xiao Chen's acting wasn't good, but now they've been proven wrong, haha. The director and the audience have discerning eyes.】
【Yes, Chen's acting has always been excellent. His portrayals of Mo Bai and the Second Young Master will always hold a special place in my heart. Those people are just panicking, afraid that Chen will become famous.】
...
Looking at the comments below, Liu Zehang rolled his eyes: "Of all the people who auditioned, only Chen Yulin's acting skills are obviously terrible, and now these fans have actually found an opportunity to make noise about it."
Anyone with eyes can see there was definitely something fishy about this audition! Any one of those actors selected individually is a better actor than Chen Yulin. Why use a pretty face instead of several talented actors?
It's absolutely laughable.
Xiao He shrugged: "It's fine. I'm obscure enough that nobody cares about me."
LOL, he's not even mentioned in the camp of those who are trying to put others down.
But it's fine, Xiao He is happy to be free.
"Sigh—" Liu Zehang raised his hand and patted Xiao He, "There's nothing we can do. Everyone's been tricked. Next, we'll probably have to start {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} scrambling for other resources and scripts. Let's all keep going."
Xiao He clenched his fist, raised his hand and bumped it with Liu Zehang's: "Good luck, I look forward to seeing you next time."
"Yeah, looking forward to seeing you next time."
However, neither Xiao He nor Liu Zehang probably expected that their next meeting would be so soon
