Extracting skills from movies

Meanwhile, the Lil Wayne hit-and-run scandal is spreading like wildfire.

What was originally just tabloid gossip has now become a hot topic even for The New York Times.

The rap star's new album, "Tha Carter III," is currently topping the Billboard charts, while his film project is facing criticism from conservatives due to its gay-themed content.
With the added boost of a Grammy nomination, the already high viewership has caused an even bigger uproar.

When filming wrapped, producer Zakaria cornered Du Sheng and director Christopher in the dressing room:
"The filming permit for Griffith Park was denied. The Environmental Protection Agency said it was due to bird migration, and the Weather Bureau reported heavy rain. In short, they just wouldn't let us in."

Christopher slammed the script on the table:

"The heavy rain was just rescheduled last week, and now it's happening again?"

"Let Warner Bros. handle it."

Du Sheng slowly and methodically adjusted his cufflinks:
"The crew should just go about their business."

Zakaria immediately understood that this Chinese-American boss was going to make a big fuss.

Sure enough, Christopher's eyes lit up:
"I'll contact the Hollywood Reporter right away and have them come to the set to do a live broadcast."

Du Sheng didn't stop him; instead, he added:

"Investigate again to see if Weinstein was behind this."

"That old fox has been entrenched in Los Angeles for thirty years, and his network of connections is denser than the Hollywood Walk of Fame."

Zakaria shook his head:

"However, Warner's legal department has intervened, and filming is expected to resume tomorrow."

When Du Sheng finished work late at night, he took Jessica's nanny car back to the hotel as usual.

The beautiful woman slumped listlessly in her seat.

"WME doesn't dare to confront me directly, so they go and harass Canals. Do they really think I'm an easy target?"

Du Sheng took a bottle of water from the car refrigerator and handed it over:
"Put all the blame on me, and I'll clean up the mess."

Jessica suddenly sat up and gently pinched his cheek:

"This is something we both encountered, how can I let you be a sitting duck?"
If it weren't for your quick thinking last night, I'd be in a hospital bed right now.

Du Sheng then smoothly steered the conversation back on track:

"During the break just now, you said you wanted to leave WME?"

Jessica sighed softly:
"I've been working at WME for ten years, starting as their cash cow even before Fantastic Four."
Now look at me like I'm a expired contract.

That's just how this business is.

Du Sheng unscrewed the mineral water bottle and took a sip:
"A child raised at home is never as good as one picked up from the street."

Most of those veteran agents probably think that it was the WME brand that made you famous.

Jessica suddenly lifted her hat, her amber eyes narrowing into crescent moons:
"What's going on? Is CAA trying to poach our players?"

Du Sheng leaned over and poked her collarbone with his fingertip:

"Which part of your body haven't I explored?"

Before I could finish speaking, my shoulder was bitten, and warm breath was on my ear:

"Then tonight it's my turn to develop you!"

"Stop it, stop it!"

Du Sheng changed the subject:
Richard Lovett just landed in Los Angeles and said he could handle Lil Wayne's mess.

Should we meet with him?

Jessica tucked her long hair behind her ear and smiled like a fox:
"So CAA is coming as a group to poach talent?"
First, let your spouse sound out the situation, then let the big boss close the net.

"So, have you been caught yet?"

Du Sheng chuckled.

Jessica stood up and said seriously:

"Let me speak with Canals first."

"You guys talk to Richard first and see what price CAA can offer."

Du Sheng knew that these things couldn't be rushed, so he let her go back and discuss it with her agent.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door, and Haders poked half his head in:

"Mr. Richard has arrived."

As soon as Du Sheng stepped into the business suite, a bigwig from CAA came to greet him:

"I've heard about the situation on the set. Don't worry, I've already arranged for someone to handle it."

Du Sheng knew that Richard's cousin had a network of connections in the city hall that was even more extensive than the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

After he sat down, he smiled and said:
"This time, Weinstein, that old fox, blocked the filming location. We couldn't have handled it without your help."

Richard smiled politely and then got to the point:
"Is Jessica really planning to leave WME?"

"There are already signs of this."

Richard nodded:

"It seems it's all because of you."

Du Sheng did not deny it:

"I can help you secure your position in advance, preventing other companies from getting involved."

Richard flew over overnight to keep it a secret:
"Keep this quiet for now, just tell everyone I'm not in Los Angeles."

He knew that to get Du Sheng to cooperate fully, he had to offer her some incentives:

"We've known each other for a long time, so feel free to name your terms."

Du Sheng didn't beat around the bush with him:
"Taken" is set to be released this year during awards season. Its predecessor, The Man from Nowhere, just won Best Actor at Venice. This time, I want to aim for the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film.

My English album, Endless Joy, received a Grammy nomination, but this is just the beginning.

The company will need to invest resources in areas such as publicity, networking, and public relations, and I hope the company can provide its full support.

Richard readily agreed after hearing this:

"Helping clients win prizes is our brokerage's responsibility, and I guarantee CAA will fully cooperate."

As Du Sheng came out of the suite, she ran into Ma Yaowei, and the two walked downstairs together.

Hades saw Zhang Haolong make a gesture and wisely stopped where he was and didn't follow.

After they had walked a little further away, Ma Yaowei said in a low voice:
"The Ophiuchus is here."

Ophiuchus used to make a living fighting underground boxing matches in Hong Kong, while also working part-time as a police officer. He later pulled off a big heist and entered a semi-retired life.

But he couldn't stand the loneliness and started getting active again.

"Where is he?"

Du Sheng thought for a moment and said:
"I'll talk to him."

Ma Yaowei advised him:
"No need, I'll go."

If anything goes wrong, I'll take the blame; you can cover for me from the outside.

Du Sheng pointed at him and laughed:
"I'm not doing anything illegal, I'm just going back to my old profession."

He sighed:
"How many bombshell stories have they provided to the press over the years?"
How many journalists' jobs were saved?

Even Elisa made her fortune this way, but unfortunately the International Charity Awards never include me..."

Ma Yaowei couldn't help but laugh:
"You can use the enemy as a weapon."

Du Sheng stood by the window in the corridor, gazing at the night sky:

"There are no eternal enemies. I'm the paparazzi's favorite friend to stake out."

He added another instruction:
"If things get complicated, try a different approach. Make sure nothing happens to Madam Snake. Keep a close eye on things."

"Do not worry."

After Ma Yaowei finished speaking, he turned and left.

These experiences led Du Sheng to adopt a less forceful approach to dealing with things.

As he walked towards the hotel, he pondered:

'We need to distract that fat Harvey and keep him from keeping an eye on the Inception crew.'

Even if the Century Daily can't handle him right away, they'll still cause him some trouble.

That's why Zhang Haolong found a "new face" in Hollywood that nobody knew to handle the matter.

Honestly, there are plenty of beautiful women in Hollywood, so why did Harvey have to pick a fight with their crew?
Halfway there, Du Sheng suddenly remembered something.

Harvey's fiancée, Georgina Chapman, seems to be quite attractive...

The thought had barely formed in his mind when he shook his head in disbelief.
"I'm an upright man; I wouldn't do such despicable things!"

Back in the suite, Jessica Alba opened the door wearing a silk robe, her hair still dripping wet.
"Have you seen Richard?"

Du Sheng didn't beat around the bush:
"Yes, you've really thought it through?"

"Those WME guys will stick to you like glue." Jessica rubbed her forehead.

Do you really think it's a good thing for me to desert?

Du Sheng suddenly grabbed her wrist and pulled her into his arms:
"Who said you're a deserter? You're acting like a queen."

He took out his phone and swiped a few times:
“Look at this, CAA just registered ‘Alba Studio,’ and you are listed as the legal representative.”

Jessica stared at the company registration information on the screen and suddenly burst out laughing:

"You've even paved the way out for me."

"Not just a backup plan."

Du Sheng opened another file:
"This is the contract for Sin City 2, which was just sent by director Robert Rodriguez."

and this……"

He scrolled through the email list:

"Disney is rebooting the Fantastic Four series and specifically asked you to be the producer."

Jessica suddenly pressed a glass of chilled red wine against his neck:

"My mind is filled with those bloodsuckers from WME right now, I need to do some exercise to clear my head!"

Du Sheng was jolted awake by the cold, and immediately hoisted the person onto his shoulder:
"A realistic decompression tutorial? That's my specialty!"

……

The Los Angeles park was freezing cold, like an icebox. Ophiuchus, wrapped in a military overcoat, was stamping his feet.

"Damn it, it wasn't this cold when I was chopping people up in Yau Tsim Mong back in the day!"

The black van quietly pulled up in front of them, and Ma Yaowei rolled down the window:

"boarding!"

"What urgent matter requires us to meet in the middle of the night?"

Ophiuchus climbed into the passenger seat, and Ma Yaowei handed him an envelope:
"Do me a small favor."

"When it comes to all this Hollywood scum, I only trust my old brothers in Hong Kong."

When the Ophiuchus opened it, he found it was full of US dollars.

"Why are we putting on all this formalities in our relationship?"

Ma Yaowei smiled:

"It must have been tiring to fly here for over ten hours."

The serpent man asked:
"Do you need to use any weapons? I came in a hurry and didn't bring a gun."

Ma Yaowei jokingly scolded:
What are you thinking!

I simply found a complete stranger and passed the message to the editor-in-chief of a newspaper.

The serpent man grinned:
"I'm an expert at this. Back in Causeway Bay, I was handing out tips to paparazzi. I'm a real pro!"

"Tomorrow, Raymond, the editor-in-chief of the Century Daily, will be going to Beverly Hills. Find a secluded corner..."

"It's easy!"

The serpent man deftly stuffed the envelope into his pocket.

Since meeting Du Sheng, he has done this kind of work several times and is very skilled at it.

Ma Yaowei then took out another envelope and pulled out a photograph:
"This woman is Elsa Arguido, an Italian actress who is doing quite well in Hollywood."

He then went on and on, and when he mentioned Harvey Weinstein, Ophiuchus nodded.

They also pay close attention to Hollywood gossip, just like they do with domestic celebrity gossip.

In addition to a photo of Elsa, the envelope also contained information about Ross McGowan, Lucia Evans, and others.

Du Sheng had already written down these "dark histories" in his notebook, just waiting for the day they would come in handy.

The Ophiuchus took the documents:

"Don't worry, I'll take care of it."

Ma Yaowei added:
"I'll keep an eye on you from behind tomorrow."

Upon hearing "behind him," the serpent harpoon immediately thought of slippery soap:
"No, no, no! Please don't stay behind me, I'm scared!"

Ma Yaowei gave him the middle finger:

"Are you even a man? Your ass' practically sticking up to the sky!"

……

The next morning, the wind in Beverly Hills was biting cold.

Raymond, the editor-in-chief of The Century Daily, drove up to the company building, but instead of going in, he went across the street to buy a McDonald's meal.

I had just sat down when I heard a London accent coming from behind me:
"Sir, would you mind sharing a table?"

Ophiuchus was dressed in a custom-made suit, his blond hair slicked back, looking every bit the Hollywood agent.

As he spoke, he pushed over an intimate photo of Harvey and Elsa.

Raymond pushed up his gold-rimmed glasses:

“I can collect a truckload of this stuff every year.”

"This time is different."

Ophiuchus pulls out a recorder, and Harvey's threatening voice crackles through the microphone:

"Her police report, her hospital examination report, and even her abortion certificate are all here."

Raymond's hand trembled, and hot cocoa splattered onto the photograph.

The serpent man slowly wiped the table:

“If you chicken out, I’ll go to The New York Times right now.”

"and many more!"

Raymond grabbed his wrist.

"These materials..."

The Ophiuchus pointed to the photo and said:
"This is my girlfriend, Elsa Arguido, who starred in 'xXx'."

"I've been sexually assaulted by Harvey Weinstein several times in recent years, and twice my attempts to call the police and contact the media were suppressed."

"Weinstein threatened with resources, and Matt Damon and Brad Pitt also issued veiled warnings."

Fearing she would lose her job, she dared not speak out again and could only grieve in silence.

"I went to confront that fat guy, and I got beaten up..."

Raymond looked at the photo, and his eyes began to brighten.

The serpent man's face turned pale, and he lowered his voice to say:

"That fat bastard not only assaulted my girlfriend, but he also didn't wear a condom!"

I can't swallow this insult!
I secretly watched him for a long time before I gathered this evidence.

Other media outlets dare not touch this, but your *Century Daily* dares to tell the truth, which is why we came to you personally.

Raymond didn't say anything, but silently picked up the envelope on the table.

Inside were several printed sheets of paper listing the names, dates, and corresponding hotel information of several female celebrities.

The serpent man added:
"I'm incapable of revenge, so I'm counting on you to help us vent this anger!"

Raymond put the envelope and photo into his bag, his face expressionless.

The serpent man got up and left, turning the corner and quickly scaling the wall.

Not long after, Ma Yaowei pulled up to the side of the road in an inconspicuous sedan. As soon as Snakeman got in, he exclaimed excitedly:

"How was my performance?

Ma Yaowei mimicked Du Sheng's tone, saying with a look of disdain:
"That's acting? That's just superficial!"
He looks like he just came back from being an extra in Hengdian World Studios!

The serpent man scratched his head and said sheepishly:

"Is it really that bad?"

Ma Yaowei urged him:
"Stop talking nonsense and hurry back to Hong Kong. Your gang is waiting for you to start a new team."

Before leaving, the serpent man didn't forget to give one last piece of advice:
"If something like this happens again, come to me again, and I promise to take care of it for Brother Sheng."

By the way, it's best if it's a major event!
For example, things like those at the level of Morgan Bank or the US Treasury, don't keep making me do these trivial things. It's not easy for me to come back and forth like this!

Ma Yaowei rolled his eyes:

"Alright, alright, next time you can blow up the White House, okay?"

…(End of this chapter)