Global Film Emperor

Chapter 562, "No One to Listen To," is finished.

Time flies, like a strong wind blowing from the past, slowly turning the calendar pages. In the blink of an eye, five months have passed, and the wrap-up day has finally arrived.

"Alright! I hereby declare this trip... over! Thank you all for your hard work!"

Mickey stood on the chair, rolled up the remaining script in his hand, raised his arm and waved it. Everyone cooperated and cheered. Some even took off their coats and threw them into the air, shouting that they were finally free.

This unrestrained demeanor was perhaps truly caused by genuine joy. After all, the filming schedule was indeed quite fast. In order not to become the one who dragged the crew down, several actors who liked to go to bars and drink had restrained themselves during this period. In order to keep up with Lu Ze's pace, they picked up the script and stayed up all night studying it during what should have been a time of unbridled behavior.

"We're having a party soon! The hotel is booked, everyone has to be there, or you won't get paid if you don't come!"

After another round of loud praise, Mickey jumped off the chair, patted the warm monitor, stared at the screen for two seconds, then turned off the monitor. Without wiping the dust off the chair, he sat down again, turned his head to look at Zhuang Yu, who was silently packing his things with a blank expression, and extended his right hand.

"Pleasant to work with."

Zhuang Yu raised his head, stared at Mickey's palm, shook his head, and after grasping it, his face remained stiff and unconvinced as he gave a merciless reply.

"I don't think the collaboration was very pleasant."

The two had disagreements, but with a serious and responsible attitude towards their work, they had conflicts every day. Even the slightest dissatisfaction would become pent-up anger, and once enough was built up, a mere spark could ignite it.

Of course, the two of them were still quite restrained and did not argue. After all, Lu Ze was in the middle, and neither of them wanted to make things difficult for Lu Ze. However, the gradual fading of their enthusiasm was hard to hide, so all they could do for each other was indifference, an indifference that they did not bother to hide in front of others.

The two had known each other for over a year, having frequently met while working on the script. They had a good grasp of each other's personalities. Seeing his still-stern face, Mickey could only force a smile, muttering repeatedly, "Three drinks as punishment tonight, three drinks as punishment."

The more he acted this way, the more unhappy Zhuang Yu became, because he always did this, trying to change the subject with a joking smile, but never discussing the work with her, relying on his cynical face to forcibly change the subject.

But after thinking it over, Zhuang Yu understood. What else could he do? Mickey wrote the script, directed the film, and was the investor. Of course, Mickey had the right to declare the film his personal property. And since it was his personal property, it had to reflect Mickey's style. Zhuang Yu could understand the exchange between the two parties.

So he was like a child attracted by a friend's toy, who was playing with it right in front of him but wouldn't let him touch it even once. Such stinginess... was understandable.

"Just wait until you're drunk."

After letting go, Zhuang Yu lowered his head again, sorted through his belongings, and muttered something under his breath, a dark murderous intent rising in his heart.

……

"Get up quickly, the ground is cold."

It was already late autumn. When Mickey announced that filming was over, Lu Ze did not get up. Instead, he found a comfortable spot to lie down, put his hands behind his head, and looked up at the sky.

As far as the eye could see, the azure sky resembled a canvas framed in gold by the surrounding sycamore trees. Fallen leaves drifted slowly in the gentle breeze, losing their unique character once they settled on the ground. If one were to filter out the cheers of the crowd, the tranquil park and the chirping, unidentified birds would be perfect for his solitary enjoyment.

The girl came closer, knelt down beside Lu Ze, and placed her hands on her knees to remind him that the season for lying on the grass to enjoy the scenery was long gone.

He responded, scrambled to his feet, dusted off the back of his clothes, but was then distracted by Mickey, who was shouting his name from the side.

"Lu Ze! Come here quickly, hurry up."

"What are you doing again?"

"You think I'd rob you just because I told you to? Hurry up, there's something good in there."

The mention of something good piqued the interest of the others, who quickly moved forward. After Lu Ze arrived, they all made way for him. Seeing Mickey smiling, Lu Ze frowned, then looked at Wang Zixuan, who stood to the side with her hands behind her back, and asked in surprise, "Where's the good stuff?"

"As everyone has seen, Lu Ze has worked incredibly hard lately. He's not only dedicated to his work, but he's also put in a lot of effort in managing his physique. To thank Lu Ze..."

"Stop talking nonsense. You just spout off all sorts of rubbish. Can you even kowtow to me? Zixuan, just give it to me."

"I just went and bought a hamburger, a double cheese and beef one, for Brother Lu."

Wang Zixuan rolled her eyes at Mickey, also annoyed by his fussiness. She handed him a brown paper bag from a famous burger joint in Liverpool, which was much more expensive than McDonald's. Lu Ze then realized that his long-accustomed life could be broken. From today onwards, he would no longer have to eat the food that only cows and sheep eat.

Having not eaten meat for a long time, I became more sensitive to the aroma of food. I could smell the aroma of the fat even through the bag, so I didn't hesitate and took a big bite after opening the package.

The burger shop was a bit far from the filming location, and it was already warm when it arrived. But after taking one bite, the rich aroma of cheese and the texture of beef instantly overwhelmed his brain, and Lu Ze realized that food could indeed be incredibly delicious.

He casually pulled over a chair and sat down, his mouth still chewing, but his mind involuntarily recalled the painful past when he was trying to lose weight. The more he recalled it, the more his thoughts surged under the impact of food. This was a sadness that was beyond human control, a biological instinctive reaction after mistreating his body. Even Lu Ze couldn't help but feel a lump in his throat and two tears fell uncontrollably.

The crowd, who had been excitedly preparing to watch Lu Ze show off, stopped smiling and looked on with pity as Lu Ze replenished his long-lost energy.

Mickey watched for a while, then dared not speak loudly. He quietly leaned close to Zhuang Yu's ear and cautiously asked a question.

"This is... the Heartbreaking Rice?"

"Are you an idiot?"

……

After the props team packed up the equipment and safely transported it back to the company, the group moved to a hotel. Without the pressure of suddenly looking out of shape in front of the camera, everyone felt more relaxed and started talking, enjoying good food and drinks.

Lu Ze also picked up a wine glass after a long time, but because he hadn't drunk alcohol for so long, his body was unexpectedly intolerant to alcohol. He felt the effects after just two glasses of red wine. Lu Ze couldn't remember what Mickey said after that, but he remembered that it definitely took no more than half an hour from when he sat down to when he left the table.

Since they couldn't attend the party on the hotel rooftop, Wang Zixuan helped the unsteady Lu Ze into the car with the help of Mickey and Zhuang Yu. It would have been even better if their phones hadn't turned on their cameras.

After the two left, Wang Zixuan was about to shift gears and drive off when she suddenly saw Stella arriving. So Wang Zixuan waited a little longer, rolled down the car window, and asked first.

"Stella, do you need me to escort you away too?"

"Thank you, but my mother is coming to pick me up. She'll be there soon. It's me... I want to say something to Mr. Lu."

"Brother Lu just fell asleep..."

Wang Zixuan, with her expressionless face, leaned back, revealing Lu Ze, who was already fast asleep in the passenger seat.

"Miss Wang, please be careful."

"Yeah, you too. I'll be going now."

Watching the taillights of the departing car, she looked conflicted, her mind racing. In the end, she could only bite her lower lip and, even before Zhuang Yu, reveal a relieved smile. She shrugged and waved to her mother's car, which had just arrived.

"..."