I became famous in the entertainment industry by burning incense

After listening to Jinli's analysis, Qi Guanmingzhu couldn't help but sigh.

"Judging from this, it's probably unlikely that the director will be able to use the original cast."

Jinli thought for a moment and said, "It's not impossible, but I'm afraid it will take a year."

Qi Guanmingzhu asked curiously, "Why do you say that?"

Jinli smiled and said, "Now is their most glorious time, so it's inevitable that their minds will be restless."

A year later, once they've reaped the benefits of their sudden fame and lack good new works to solidify their popularity, they'll naturally remember the mentor who made them famous.

She wasn't just making things up.

Through the photos, she saw that these people all had "leaky" facial features.

Heaven made them famous overnight, but they couldn't handle the fame.

If the director can really wait a year, he might be able to sign them for a very low price.

But a year...

Let alone whether Jinli is willing to wait, Qiguan Mingzhu would absolutely not wait.

"Short dramas are all the rage right now, and everyone's throwing money into their production. Who knows when this trend will end, or what policy changes might occur next year?"

Qi Guanmingzhu paused for a moment, then continued, "Moreover, even if we as investors have the patience, the director may not."

If she doesn't capitalize on the momentum and release a sequel now, the hype surrounding "Virtual Face" will completely die down, and since she wants to film a non-feel-good story, it will be even more difficult for her to make a name for herself.

Jinli agreed, "Yes, that's why I suggest the director cast newcomers."

Qi Guanmingzhu sighed silently, "That's all we can do."

There are many shows on the market that don't want to use newcomers, but rather can't afford to use the old ones.

With just a little bit of popularity, their pay skyrockets several times over. Who can afford that?

This also raises a question.

Does a drama's success depend on its actors, or on its set design, editing, costumes, props, script, and direction?

No matter how good an actor's acting skills are, if they are not given a good stage, will their excellence be seen?
No matter how good the stage is, if the actors are terrible, can you really make them famous by forcibly promoting them?

The truth is that actors and production crews complement each other, and neither can function without the other.

However, as the people who appear on screen most frequently, actors inevitably have many advantages over those behind the scenes, making price increases inevitable.

It can only be said that a production team is already weighing every expense from the very beginning of a project.

Production teams with money hire more famous stars, while those with less money hire newcomers.

Often, it's not the director who decides who to invite, but rather the budget that dictates who can be invited.

After talking with Pearl, Jinli learned the director's answer a week later.

She decided to bring in new people.

The director was more decisive and adept at seizing opportunities than she had imagined, and immediately announced the start of filming the "False Face" series of short dramas.

Thanks to the appeal of this hit show, she was able to recruit people more easily in the industry.

If we wait several months to announce this news, it will be too late.

Qi Guanmingzhu was quite enthusiastic about the second part, and thoroughly enjoyed being an investor.

When she's not on a gig, she spends her time on set, watching how the director acts and getting a lot of gossip.

She wouldn't share such clichéd gossip with her friends.

She would share some of the more interesting things in the group.

Jinli scrolled through the chat history and felt that this girl was having a good time on set.

Qi Guanmingzhu is rather averse to being an actor, believing that artists who can play roles well are somewhat schizophrenic.

This time, being immersed in the film crew, she gained a new understanding of the crew from a different perspective and became very interested in the entire operation of the crew.

She felt that managing a film crew in an orderly manner was more interesting and better training than working as a planner at a comic convention.

Qi Guanmingzhu specifically said in the group chat: "[Anyone who wants to invest in film or television dramas in the future can ask me to be the producer. I'm particularly interested in managing film crews; managing people is much more interesting than managing inanimate objects!]"

Jinli specifically asked her: "Aren't you going to be your anime convention planner anymore?"

Qi Guanmingzhu replied: "The anime convention only has a few programs; what's more interesting is dealing with the unexpected situations that arise from the film crew. Some of these situations really get your adrenaline pumping; it's like there's a surprise every day."

Hearing this, the other girls in the pink dress became interested and asked her what the surprise was.

As for Jinli, she didn't have time to see the "surprises" Qiguan Mingzhu mentioned, because the May Day holiday was coming soon.

Since starting school this year, Jinli has devoted more time to her studies and doesn't schedule any work from Monday to Friday.

In contrast, her weekends are booked out every single day.

Even so, the notices still piled up like mountains.

Sui Lingfang called her half a month ago to tell her that she would be very busy during the May Day holiday and to prepare herself mentally.

Jinli didn't take it seriously, thinking that at most she would just work the maximum number of hours.

As a result, she saw Fang Jie's itinerary three days in advance and suddenly realized that her idea was too naive.

This is more than just maxed out!
No, she's comparing it to an eight-hour workday, which is testing the conscience of the bosses.

Fangjie wishes she could work 16 hours a day, leaving only eight hours for sleep.

Jinli was so frightened...

Upon learning that the school would dismiss students two hours earlier the afternoon before the long weekend, so that students could catch the bus earlier and avoid the rush hour, she immediately decided to go to a nearby Taoist temple to offer incense.

Jinli has to thank this Taoist temple for its reservation system.

The Jade Emperor Hall, the secondary hall of the Taoist temple, is currently under renovation and is not receiving many visitors. Only about 200 tickets are issued each day.

Jinli managed to snag a reservation for that afternoon thanks to her incredible luck and lightning-fast reflexes.

Taking advantage of the school's early holiday, I successfully avoided the travel rush and arrived at Xuanzhen Temple without any obstacles.

Xuanzhen Temple is a 5A-level scenic spot. In addition to the Taoist temple, the mountain on which it is located also has many intrigues.

Jinli's current physical condition only allows her to climb small hills; climbing large mountains would definitely be too much for her.

Unfortunately, the mountain where Xuanzhen Temple is located is a large mountain.

But the good thing about this place is that it is indeed a famous mountain and river, full of spiritual energy.

Just as Jinli arrived at the foot of the mountain, wondering whether she should bring her thesis along so she could study and recharge as she climbed, she felt the almost vibrant spiritual energy of the mountains!

In her eyes, spiritual energy surged like a spring between the steep mountains, and streams of refreshing air cleansed her lungs, revitalizing even her frail body.

As the sunlight shone down, the vibrant golden energy almost materialized, forming streaks of dazzling golden light.

As you ascend the stone steps, the ancient trees and rocks, nourished by spiritual energy over a long period of time, exude a spiritual charm.

It's fair to say that the stone steps here are imbued with a spiritual aura.

Worshipping these stone steps might be more effective than worshipping the ordinary deities in the nameless Taoist temple.

Jinli's eyes were bright; now, even without doing practice problems, she was guaranteed to make it up the mountain.

"This mountain looks quite steep. Are you sure you can make it up?"

Gu Cheng looked at Jin Li with some concern.

Unlike Jinli who traveled light, he was fully equipped with standard mountaineering gear, including various first-aid medicines, oxygen cylinders, and trekking poles. He also carried Jinli's luggage.

Jinli glanced at the large package Gu Cheng was carrying; it looked to weigh at least several dozen kilograms. Yes, her extraordinary luck had struck again when she was trying to buy tickets.

Not only did they help her get what she wanted, they also helped Gu Cheng get what she wanted.

Gu Cheng was also given a lot of announcements by Brother Guang, but they all took effect tomorrow. It was the last day before his holiday, and one of his few leisurely days.

When Jinli invited him to the Taoist temple to offer incense, Gu Cheng immediately agreed.

Jinli snapped out of her daze and said with a smile, "I feel like I have a connection with this mountain. Do you believe me?"

Gu Cheng raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Jinli said confidently, "That means I can easily climb to the top of the mountain without any auxiliary equipment."

Seeing that Gu Cheng was carrying a lot of things, Jinli kindly said, "Why don't you put some of them in the self-service lockers? You don't need to carry so much stuff, I can manage!"

Gu Cheng shook his head and said seriously, "No, I don't think so."

Jinli opened her eyes slightly and said very seriously, "I really can."

Gu Cheng looked at her for a while, then suddenly smiled and gently patted her head.

“I know you can, but I can’t bear to see anything happen to you, and I can’t allow myself to helplessly watch something happen to you.”

Therefore, I'd rather go up the mountain fully equipped than gamble on that one percent chance of danger.

Jinli was persuaded and wanted to help Gu Cheng carry some things.

Gu Cheng refused.

Seeing that she seemed willing to help, I thought for a moment and handed her a hiking stick, saying, "Take this."

Jinli: ...

After going up the mountain, Gu Cheng carefully observed her condition and found that she was indeed very happy, active, and full of energy.

This put his mind at ease.

An hour and a half later, they arrived at Xuanzhen Temple.

They came up relatively quickly; according to statistics from a certain travel app, the average time to climb the mountain is two hours.

The main gate of Xuanzhen Temple is very grand, and the deities enshrined there are the Azure Dragon on the left and the White Tiger on the right.

Protecting the Dharma and suppressing evil, guarding the mountain gate.

There is another deity in the center, namely Wang Lingguan.

Wang Lingguan is the highest guardian deity in Taoism, responsible for investigating good and evil in the three realms and punishing the wicked.

Jinli stood in front of Wang Lingguan and looked at him with absolute certainty, saying, "If someone with evil intentions comes here, they will feel a stinging sensation in their eyes when they see Wang Lingguan. Wang Lingguan here is full of divine energy."

Every Taoist temple has its own deities, but the deities worshipped in each temple are different.

This is not just about the different deities worshipped in different Taoist temples.

Even if the deities worshipped are the same, the location of the temple will differ depending on the geographical location and the Taoist priest's level of cultivation.

She had seen many Wang Lingguan statues in Taoist temples, but the Wang Lingguan statue in this particular temple stood out more to her.

Those eyes were bright and piercing, as if they could see into a person's heart and point directly to good and evil.

Gu Cheng seemed to be thinking about something, took out his phone and searched for something, then said cautiously, "Wang Lingguan here is really quite effective."

Jinli looked over.

Gu Cheng said, "Just last month, a fugitive, for some reason, came to this Taoist temple to offer incense."

He hadn't even entered the Taoist temple yet; he was just standing outside when he exchanged a glance with Wang Lingguan. Suddenly, he screamed in pain, clutching his eyes and saying it hurt so much.

Surrounding tourists, unaware of the situation, called an ambulance. Because the incident attracted so much attention, one tourist recognized him as a fugitive and called the police, who then arrested him.

Gu Cheng's voice became very soft, and his expression was solemn, with a kind of reverence as if he were afraid of disturbing the gods.

"It is said that the fugitive is related to a cold murder case. In addition to this person, in the past few years, several other fugitives were also forced to leave the Taoist temple by Wang Lingguan."

Gu Cheng is an atheist, but after meeting Jin Li, he began to believe in metaphysics.

He encountered many things around Jinli that could not be explained by science.

Perhaps it was because Jinli was by his side that he was able to see the world more clearly.

We stepped into the mountain gate hall and entered the main hall.

The main hall is the Sanqing Hall, which enshrines the Three Pure Ones.

The spirit of Wang Lingguan in the mountain gate hall was already extraordinary. Jinli was also looking forward to the main hall. After walking in and taking a look, she couldn't help but admire it in her heart.

The Three Pure Ones here have been worshipped for at least a thousand years!

With incense burning day and night, it has weathered countless rises and falls, and with the daily blessings of the Taoist priest, its spirituality is almost overflowing.

It can be said that it is precisely because the main deity inside is so spiritually powerful that Wang Lingguan in the mountain gate hall is also full of spiritual energy.

The central figure is the Jade Pure Primordial Heavenly Venerable, the left figure is the Upper Pure Spiritual Treasure Heavenly Venerable, and the right figure is the Supreme Pure Moral Heavenly Venerable.

Jinli had no doubt that if she summoned her master at this moment, he could have a brief conversation with her using the true form of the Supreme Lord of Morality here.

But recently she has been studying diligently, and her health has been improving as she has fulfilled the wishes of her former master.

If it weren't for the tight schedule during the May Day holiday, Jinli would never have considered setting foot in the Taoist temple, let alone asking the gods for anything.

What if, by accident, our brainwaves match?

Her master appeared in her dream and asked her how her spiritual practice in the mortal world was going. How should she answer?
To claim that one works diligently every day is tantamount to self-aggrandizement.

But to say that I'm just going to drift along would be even more unthinkable; wouldn't that be taking the experience for granted?
Even a minor deity fears being tested by a superior deity!
Even immortals have their own world!
So Jinli simply offered incense to the gods respectfully, not daring to make any wishes or do anything else.

However, she pulled Gu Cheng and made him perform the three kneelings and nine kowtows ceremony.

Jinli asked Gu Cheng to do this, and Gu Cheng did it without asking why.

After paying respects to the Three Pure Ones and leaving the main hall, Jinli couldn't help but ask, "Aren't you going to ask me why I made you perform such a complicated ceremony?"

Gu Cheng shook his head and said succinctly, "I won't ask. You have your reasons for making me do this."

He turned his head and looked at Shangqing Lingbao Tianzun, who was located on his left, a complex look flashing across his eyes.

Just now, while kneeling and worshipping this deity, he seemed to have seen a glimmer of the legendary divine light.

In that instant, he also noticed the difference in Jinli's body.

Jinli was surrounded by golden light, but her body was full of holes.

The golden light was strong within her body, but it couldn't be retained; it leaked out of the opening every second.

However, this scene only flashed for a few seconds before he never saw it again.

If that flash of inspiration hadn't taken so long, Gu Cheng would have thought he was seeing things.

"Gu Cheng?"

Gu Cheng turned his head and saw Jin Li waving at him with a bright smile, signaling him to come over.

He composed himself and walked over.

Whether she is a ghost, a demon, or just an ordinary person with some abilities, she is his lover.

Even if the road ahead is winding, he is happy to accept it.

All the gods and Buddhas in the heavens are but a thing of the past; his heart belongs only to Jinli. (End of Chapter)