Chapter 540: Chapter 535: Don’t You Want to Get Even?
Although it only showed for 2 seconds, Ji Ning’s personal information was suddenly hidden, which was enough to leave Big Head petrified on the spot.
He rubbed his eyes hard, but Ji Ning’s personal information had already been reduced to the first three lines, and her age had changed to 20 years old.
"I must have been seeing things. Yes, I definitely made a mistake. How can a young girl be a Security Department agent? Haha..."
Outside, Ji Ning retracted her spiritual power, her lips curling slightly upwards, and ordered [Zero]: "Closely monitor all his social media accounts, and remember to block those keywords."
"Yes, Commander."
At the same time.
Same private room, same quiet scene.
It was even quieter than when they first learned Ji Ning was a Security Department agent.
Li Tao never expected that this knowledgeable uncle in front of him wasn’t actually surnamed Li?
That face was even more well-known than a celebrity’s.
He was so nervous at this moment that he wished he could slap his own stupid mouth.
What did he just say?
Did he complain about the hidden rules of the entertainment industry?
Did he badmouth the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Alliance?
Did he even boldly ask him to help draft a contract?
And one for a thousand bucks?
Dammit, will he be taken away...
Li Wenxin usually didn’t smile much to maintain his image, but in such a private setting, facing these ordinary people, he was still very amiable. His voice even gentler than when he spoke with Ji Ning, yet the people sitting across the table were like students seeing the principal, not daring to look at him directly and speaking with honorifics and a trembling voice.
He had no choice but to chat idly with Xiao Ye, whose brain was still functioning.
"Xiao Ye, I saw your new drama, you performed well. Did you learn to use a gun from Ji Ning?"
"Ah, yes... Sister Ning taught me."
"What are you planning to act in next?"
"Not decided, Sister Ning wants me to go back to school to hone my acting skills first."
Li Wenxin nodded slightly, "That’s good, learning more never hurts. By the way, do you have a partner?"
"Huh? No... I’m focused on my career, definitely not thinking about dating."
Seeing Ye Tong’s expression so determined like she was about to swear an oath, Li Wenxin found it amusing, "When you’re at the right age, you should think about it."
Just as Ye Tong didn’t know how to respond, the door of the private room was suddenly pushed open, and a voice like rain falling on a parched land sounded:
"Pushing your nephew again?"
"Sister Ning..." Ye Tong breathed a sigh of relief.
Li Wenxin covered it up by taking a sip of tea.
The Li Tao siblings, relieved, stood up to pull out a chair for Ji Ning, but Ye Tong was quick and had already pulled the chair next to her.
Ji Ning sat down directly.
"Sister Ning, how’s the talk with Big Head?" Ye Tong asked while scalding the utensils for Ji Ning.
Ji Ning thought for a moment, "Still discussing."
Ye Tong hugged Ji Ning’s neck and acted coquettishly, "Thank you, Sister Ning."
Ji Ning was helpless and let her hug, tilting her head to look at Li Wenxin, "Does the Ministry of Culture have a film production company underneath it?"
"There are affiliated companies, why, are you planning a shoot?"
"There’s a good project."
"What genre?"
"Science fiction."
Li Wenxin immediately understood Ji Ning’s intention.
He had already obtained some information from Beizhou, although unbelievable, Hua Continent needed to prepare for potential adversaries or new friends.
"I’ll go find someone to ask about this."
Ji Ning nodded slightly.
Listening intently to the discussion between the two, Li Tao found it increasingly suspicious, quickly asking: "Sister Ning, the project you’re talking about isn’t the same one Big Head is trying to get investments for, is it?"
As Big Head’s rival, he kept a close eye on Big Head’s movements, naturally aware he was trying to get investors for a niche science fiction film.
The film seemed destined to flop; there’s no market for it in Hua Continent, and insiders weren’t fools.
The project had just passed the initial review, but it had no funding, no crew, and no actors. Sister Ning wouldn’t let him fool her, would she?
"You mustn’t let him trick you. That movie only has a script and nothing else. It’s a doomed pitfall."
"You know?"
Li Tao quickly shared everything he knew.
Despite Big Head’s lack of character, he had dreams of becoming a film producer, previously seeking investments to make films, yet his works were undesirable even to dogs, with box office earnings failing to break 30 million.
He’s even been added to a blacklist within the investment circles.
This time, it’s unclear where he got his script from, intending to shoot a sci-fi film.
With that shiny bald head of his, he wants to make sci-fi?
Does he even know what sci-fi means?
"... So, Sister Ning, you’d better not let him con you. Big Head has a terrible reputation in the film investment circle. He makes movies purely to make money and loves finding clueless investors with lots of money, but the audience isn’t stupid. If you invest in him, you’re sure to lose money and your reputation. As for the fantasy drama you’re interested in, I’ll pull some strings, just don’t let him fool you. Big Head’s character is lacking... "
Li Tao was sweating profusely, fearing Ji Ning had already signed an investment agreement.
Ji Ning picked up the cup of tea Li Wenxin poured for her and asked, "How does he usually swindle money?"
"He finds investment newbies or outsiders in the film industry, promises high returns and roles for actors, and those unfamiliar with the market who want to promote new talent fall for it. He typically uses dual contracts, false accounting, and other methods to pocket most of the investment funds, using only a fraction for filming, crew expenses, post-production..."
Li Tao shared all the dirt he knew on Big Head, sneakily glancing at Li Wenxin while he spoke.
Just moments ago, he had revealed the industry’s shadowy dual contracts to this mogul; inwardly, he was extremely anxious.
"I see..." Ji Ning took a sip of tea.
Seeing that she absorbed the information, Li Tao’s heart was half at ease. Just as he was about to sip his tea, he heard Ji Ning across the table ask: "How much is usually fair to pay for a screenplay?"
"Cough cough cough... Are you planning to buy the script from Big Head?" Li Tao choked on himself, his voice even distorted from inquiry.
Ji Ning smiled, "Since he’s unreliable, just change the project leader. Are you interested?"
Li Tao was taken aback, eyes widened, speechless for a long time until his sister pinched his arm, snapping him back to his senses. He quickly replied, "There are many sci-fi scripts, no need to insist on his."
"Don’t you want to prove a point?"
"You..."
Li Tao suddenly felt warmth in his chest, glancing at his sister nearby, eyes moist and shining, voice slightly emotional, "I do! Tell me what to do, and I’ll fully support it."
***
Meanwhile.
After accidentally seeing Ji Ning’s background, Big Head couldn’t sit still, feeling like his doom was near.
He really wanted to pack up and run away immediately, but the thought of the Security Department held him back.
He messaged a friend, trying to verify if Ji Ning was indeed a Security Department agent.
After sending a string of messages, what was displayed was: [Can you check ** for me, see if she’s *****]
His friend replied with a bewildered string of question marks.
Big Head instantly realized he was being monitored.
His face turned pale, a chill running down his spine, his hand holding the phone trembling as he shakily opened Ji Ning’s profile picture again.
At that moment, a new message suddenly popped up.
[Ji Ning: I’m interested in the project, let’s discuss it tomorrow]
Big Head’s lips trembled, pressing the voice button, though not a sound came out.
Finally, he typed a single word:
[Big Head: Sure, you set the location.]
