Actor: Thank you.

After landing in Hong Kong, Zhang Yuan first used the contact information Wang Shi had given him to find a top-notch mountaineering coach in China.

The kind where you own your own company.

I inquired about their mountaineering trips to Africa.

Mount Kilimanjaro is considered a "relatively" difficult top mountain, especially compared to Mount Everest.

Not only is the altitude much lower, but the temperature is also not so extreme if the season is right.

Moreover, this mountain is located in Tanzania.

This country has a fairly good relationship with China.

In 78, the notorious African dictator, Amin, known as the "human connoisseur," led the Ugandan army to invade Tanzania.

The result was a crushing defeat.

Because Tanzania is one of the few African countries that cooperates with other countries, guess who taught them that?

The generals of Tan were all heavily accented with Baoding dialect and loved to eat donkey meat sandwiches.

However, it's only relatively friendly, sometimes good and sometimes bad, depending on who the leader is and who is supporting that leader.

It can only be said that, compared to other parts of Africa, this place is relatively safe for Chinese people.

To climb Mount Kilimanjaro, each tourist has to spend $3 on a "pass," which is time-limited.

The mountaineering company also spends $1 per day to organize a team to accompany you throughout the trip.

If you have a local security company that you work with, you'll have to pay extra for armed bodyguards.

Zhang Yuan did the math and realized that this didn't even include travel expenses, meals, equipment, and the costs of advance training.

Climbing such a high mountain is not something you can just do on a whim; an ordinary person who goes straight up is likely to die halfway there.

Professional training must be conducted at least two weeks to a month in advance.

Poor people can climb mountains carrying heavy loads and wearing masks to simulate a state of oxygen deficiency.

Those with money can use professional machines, which are more expensive, but the results and training efficiency are better.

He roughly counted on his fingers and said that although it was said to be just the two of them going up the mountain, in reality, including the team, it would cost hundreds of thousands of US dollars per trip!

You can travel on a budget, but it's dangerous and requires skills.

Of course, he wants the safest route and arrangements, the kind where if things don't go smoothly halfway, a helicopter will immediately come to pick you up.

My life is worth more than hundreds of thousands of dollars.

However, such a "trip" still costs a great deal of money.

So who was the person who made him invest so much?
"Qian, have you been exercising lately?" Zhang Yuan called Xiaolongnu.

"Exercise? I usually do cardio, like jogging in the neighborhood." Liu Qianqian treated his call as just casual conversation.

"Oh, then the strength might not be enough. We need to increase the load." Zhang Yuan thought for a moment.

Her body isn't the delicate type.

He is bold and has a good physical foundation.

In addition, I had a lot of training from previous filming experiences.

I'm not like Zhao Liying, who can just cut open a Want Want gift pack during her break, lie on the bed, and be surrounded by snacks all day long.

"what happened?"

"Didn't we agree to go on a trip together?"

"I'll take you to Africa to see animals, and we'll go hiking along the way."

"Okay!"

Previously, her imagination of travel was still limited to city tours like the one she did in Paris last time.

That's fine too. As long as it's not a rushed, check-in-the-day event, I'm happy to enjoy the time leisurely.

But it would be even better if you could see animals and experience natural scenery.

After all, she loves animals so much that she needs them at every meal.

"So you need to make some preparations. I will have a professional coach contact you. Just follow his instructions."

"However, the conditions for hiking are generally poor, and there are no hotels for some parts of the trip."

"It's okay, we slept in tents before when we were filming to meet deadlines." She didn't seem to care.

"Okay, I'll make the arrangements."

After chatting about Xiaolongnu, I turned on my computer and started researching and doing my homework.

I traveled to half the world with my parents when I was young.

My father was a diplomat, and my mother often toured the world with her theater troupe. Before she was 10 years old, she had been to more places than 99% of people in their entire lives.

But I've never actually been to Africa; I've mostly been to major cities in Europe and America.

So it feels very novel.

The thought of seeing giraffes, rhinoceroses, and elephants with big ears is especially exciting.

She has always liked zoos, and Africa is the world's largest "zoo".

So the more they investigated, the more excited they became.

But as this excitement grew, it was gradually replaced by another emotion.

I felt expectant, but also a little nervous.

After all, this trip is different from my last trip to Paris.

I brought a classmate along that time.

This time, it was pre-arranged, and she would go out with him alone.

Although there will be accompanying personnel, it will not be truly alone.

She also felt that the most inconvenient thing about becoming an artist was not being able to go out alone.

But in essence, it is also a "solo" trip.

And that's where her nervousness comes from.

She got up from her desk, walked around the room biting her thumbnail a few times, then pushed open the door and went downstairs to find her mother watching TV.

“Mom, I haven’t had much work lately,” she said, frowning as she spoke.

Being unemployed is something that bothers her.

Especially now that Huayi has gone public, its strength and influence are even greater than before.

Her acting career is becoming increasingly precarious.

“So, I want to travel abroad.” She came to her senses and continued.

“Great!” Liu Xiaoli turned to look at her. “It’s a good thing. Go out and relax, see the world.”

"Broadening one's horizons leads to a more fulfilling life, and I support that."

Little Dragon Girl doesn't play much on computers and mobile phones because her parents provide her with more expensive entertainment.

"where to?"

"Africa."

“Oh…I’ve never been there either, so it’s a good opportunity to see something new together.” Liu Xiaoli was also interested.

“Uh…” But Xiaolongnu was stunned for a moment, her words hesitant.

"What's wrong?" her mother asked when she saw her like this.

"Mom, I want to go by myself this time."

Liu Xiaoli frowned, sensing that things were not so simple.

Are you sure you want to go by yourself?

"Aren't you going with other people?"

“Uh…” she hesitated again.

"Go with Zhang Yuan, right?"

"Hmm." She nodded.

Before she arrived, her mother had switched to CCTV and was watching "Animal World".

At that moment, Zhao Zhongxiang's gentle and kind voice came from the television.

Spring has arrived.

"Rebirth."

"It's breeding season for animals again..."

The mother and daughter listened to the background noise, looking at each other.

“Okay, then I’ll go back to Wuhan to see your grandma.” Liu Xiaoli relaxed her brow.

Stopping them won't solve anything.

The more you try to stop a child from doing something, the more rebellious they become, and the more estranged they become from their parents.

Everyone has to go through this, and Liu Xiaoli has been through it too, so there's nothing she doesn't understand.

Just look at her appearance, figure, and temperament when she was young.

In other words, relationships between men and women were relatively conservative in the early years, and she was also quite self-respecting.

If this were today, she probably wouldn't have a moment's rest every night.

Even back in those days, during their honeymoon, Lao An was devoted to his wife day and night...

"You yourself..." Liu Xiaoli glanced at her daughter again: "Be careful."

Liu Qianqian's cheeks quickly flushed.

"I mean Africa is dangerous, there are many diseases, and the local situation is complicated. You need to be careful."

"Oh."

The mother and daughter chatted for a long time, giving irrelevant answers...

Meanwhile, Zhang Yuan had already met Director Feng and his wife.

Not only the two of them, but also many actors from the imperial circle.

They had just finished attending a press conference.

Some of them were people he knew.

Like Zhang Guoqiang, who comes from the performing arts, there is also Chen Jin, who worked with the crew of the TV series "Curse of the Golden Flower".

Movies made by people from the imperial circle mostly use actors who have connections within the circle. Li Chen, who has already signed with Huayi Brothers, is also in it. He is also a child of a high-ranking official; his father holds the rank and benefits of a civilian division commander.

Wang Ziwen was also there; after all, she was a female friend of Director Feng's old friend, Wang Shuo.

Teacher Yang Lixin was also there, and he even brought his son Yang Le with him.

With this veteran actor in the cast, Yang Le's debut film was a top-tier domestic production like "Aftershock".

Furthermore, both during filming and in private, his father taught him everything from lines to acting, word by word, step by step.

Do ordinary people have these conditions and opportunities?

Therefore, the entertainment industry will gradually be occupied and controlled by various second-generation figures.

Yang Le is alright; he's genuinely talented, willing to act well, and comes from a decent family.

More often than not, they abuse their advantages and resources.

Zhang Yuan also met Zhang Zifeng, who was not yet ten years old at the time.

At that time, she still had a chubby baby face and was quite cheerful.

This is completely opposite to his later portrayal in "Detective Chinatown".

Zhang Yuan simply greeted him.

"Director Feng, are you done with your work?" He mainly came to see Feng Xiaogang.

"Not yet." Feng Dapao maintained his usual demeanor.

They're getting a good deal but acting innocent. They're clearly thriving and have plenty of work, yet they act like they don't want to do it and don't want to earn any money.

No wonder Ye Jing deliberately created the character Feng Kuzi to mock him for acting like a coward.

There's another event this afternoon.

"I just finished filming this movie, and now my superiors want me to promote the sequel to 'If You Are the One'."

"They haven't even finished writing the script, and they're already starting to promote it..."

"Hi." Zhang Yuan smiled and put his arm around Director Feng's shoulder.

Feng Xiaogang was taken aback. Your actions were a bit disrespectful.

"Huayi is so eager to promote itself, isn't it for the sake of the stock price?"

"The first 'If You Are the One' sold well, so we're promoting a second one."

"This will surely boost confidence in the investment market."

"It will also benefit you."

Feng Xiaogang nodded, agreeing that what he said was correct.

But soon he sighed in dissatisfaction.

"If You Are the One" could have been the box office champion of the year, but it was snatched away by this guy's "Painted Skin".

Besides, if Huayi's stock goes up, you'll make more money than me!
Feng Xiaogang felt uneasy thinking about this.

You little rascal, you took shortcuts and ended up making way more than me, who worked hard.

"elder brother!"

The two were chatting when a woman's voice with a Beijing accent rang out from behind them.

"Xiaotong's here too." Zhang Yuan turned around and saw a tall, slender voice.

If there's a sequel to "If You Are the One," she'll naturally be part of it.

The publicity team will also promote this young lady from the imperial circle.

"Hey, wait a minute," Zhang Yuan said, getting up to greet him while joking.

"Didn't you always call him 'handsome brother' before?"

"It's becoming increasingly simplified now."

"Ah..." The person, somewhat embarrassed and annoyed, covered their face and jumped up and down a couple of times.

Girls grow and develop faster, and their thoughts change more quickly as well.

Just a few months later, I felt ashamed of my past self.

"you alone?"

"My mom came with me too."

"Oh... okay then." Zhang Yuan didn't ask any further questions.

We continued chatting with Director Feng about our trip to Xixi Wetland.

"I want to go too." A moment later, Miss Guan came over and said.

“You can do it too.” Zhang Yuan thought for a moment and felt that having a third party involved might not be a bad thing.

Because this trip wasn't just about having fun.

"Why don't you go and tell your mom?"

"Okay..." The man got up briskly and went to find his mother.

Her mother was busy; she was just accompanying her to the event. She had taken time off work to come, as she had to go home to work.

"Why don't you take her with you?" Guan's mother came looking for her a short while later.

It was clearly the girl who wanted to play.

"Me?" Zhang Yuan pointed to himself.

"We're practically sworn siblings, what's the big deal? We're not worried. Just be careful, this girl can be really wild when she's having fun."

"Mom, how can you talk to your own daughter like that?"

This means he's left a teenage girl to himself.

Zhang Yuan thought to himself, "If Liu Xiaoli had this awareness... would I still need to go to Africa?"
Zhang Yuan waited for them to do their promotional activities.

After finishing, we went to the airport together.

"Hey hey!"

After boarding the private jet, Ms. Xu Fan looked around with admiration.

"Damn, this thing is awesome!" Director Feng exclaimed, expressing his thoughts directly.

“There are children here.” Teacher Xu patted Director Feng on the shoulder.

Zhang Yuan glanced at the "child" who was curiously examining the cabin.

A few years ago, she was just like Zhang Zifeng is now—dark-skinned and with chubby cheeks.

It feels like the movie "The Promise" was just released yesterday.

Back then, Guan Xiaotong always wore two braids, one on each side of her head, which looked quite festive.

In the blink of an eye, her single ponytail has been changed to a much neater style.

The baby fat on her cheeks has faded, and her chin has become more defined.

He looks to be about 165 cm tall now.

He was as thin as a stick, all tall and no flesh.

Like Yang Le, she was fortunate to have a good family.

Most girls are only in their teens; how could they possibly be qualified to participate in such a production?

In comparison, Zhang Zifeng is already considered a "grassroots" figure.

"Brother, is this yours?" Guan Xiaotong walked around several times.

"Trial version." Zhang Yuan crossed his legs, abandoning his usual low-key demeanor and sitting down in a very casual manner.

His current image and demeanor are no different from those of a triad boss in old Hong Kong movies.

Holding a glass of red wine and smoking a cigar.

That's right, you can smoke on private jets, as much as you want.

Just block the smoke detector.

Alternatively, you could turn on the cockpit alarm.

However, Zhang Yuan still retained a last bit of merit.

With an underage girl present and in an enclosed space, he just held it in his mouth without lighting it.

"I'll try out the airplane experience."

"Guess what?" Zhang Yuan did a one-armed giant swing: "It was absolutely authentic!"

"Once you've flown on a private jet, you can never go back."

"Isn't life all about enjoying it?"

"I'm planning to set aside some money and buy one," Zhang Yuan said with a wide grin.

His words to others were completely different from what he usually said.

"Don't you think so, Director Feng?"

"Huayi has gone public, so we should enjoy it too."

"Hehehe..." Feng Xiaogang chuckled awkwardly a few times.

He wanted to say that even the Wang brothers didn't live such a luxurious life.

But I can tolerate flying on your plane...

Then I thought, with this guy's current assets, he really could buy a plane.

Just thinking about this makes Director Feng, who prides himself on being a "down-to-earth worker," feel a pang of sadness.

Why!
A junior colleague who used to have to be subservient to me to get acting roles a few years ago, but now he acts all high and mighty!
Look at you, so smug and self-satisfied!
What are petty people most afraid of?
Look in the mirror!
Now, Director Feng subconsciously feels as if he is looking in a mirror.

Because petty people hope that everyone else is a gentleman, so that they can gain benefits and take advantage of others.

Therefore, petty people hate petty people the most.

The most naked hatred exists between "peers".

Zhang Yuan's current demeanor is utterly despicable.

It was as if several large words were written on its face.

"Get out of the way, everyone!"

"I'm going to show off now..." (End of Chapter)