Reborn in the Chinese Entertainment Industry: You're a Director, But You're a Casanova?

Stephen Chow's face darkened again.

He realized there was a high probability that he had been set up by Liu Yuehua, but he had no evidence.

There's no such thing as a free lunch. The explosion of the Yellow Saint Cloth is very likely related to the young man in front of us...

But so what?

In the world of capital, whoever can solve problems and generate profits is the boss.

Liu Yuehua waved towards the outside of the photography studio.

Liu Shishi, dressed in a plain-colored dress and with her hair simply tied in a ponytail, walked in quietly.

She wasn't wearing makeup; she was completely bare-faced.

It was precisely this natural, unadorned purity, coupled with the ethereal grace she possessed from years of ballet training, and those pure, even slightly timid, eyes, that made her stand out.

She's like a pure and innocent mute female lead who stepped right out of the script.

"Stephen Chow, my sister has always worked odd jobs on the film crew."

"No training or adjustment period required."

Liu Yuehua pushed Liu Shishi in front of Stephen Chow.

"The most important thing is that this film is offered to you for free, no pay whatsoever."

Zhou Xingxing looked at Liu Shishi, who was even more suitable for the role than Huang Shengyi, and then at Liu Yuehua, who looked harmless, and remained silent for a long time.

He picked up the walkie-talkie.

"Notify all departments that the female lead has been replaced."

"Liu Shishi will be on stage at tomorrow's press conference."

"The call sheet has been reshot; we'll be filming the scene with the mute girl tomorrow afternoon."

Putting down the walkie-talkie, Zhou Xingxing looked at Liu Yuehua with a deep sense of apprehension in his eyes.

"Director Liu, truly a young hero indeed!"

"Mr. Stephen Chow, you flatter me." Liu Yuehua smiled slightly. "We're all working for the prosperity of Chinese cinema; it's a win-win situation."

At the press conference for the film "Kung Fu Hustle," hundreds of media outlets from all over Asia gathered.

Sitting in the center of the press conference, Stephen Chow announced a bombshell with a blank expression.

"Due to the serious breach of contract by the original actress, Star Overseas has officially filed a lawsuit against her. Starting today, the female lead of 'Kung Fu Hustle' will be taken over by newcomer Liu Shishi."

As Stephen Chow finished speaking, Liu Shishi, dressed in a plain long dress and with a bare face, stepped onto the stage.

The reporters in the audience went crazy.

Columbia Pictures' $2000 million blockbuster of the year had its cast changed right before filming began, and the replacement was a completely unknown young woman with no prior experience.

The reporters looked at the girl in the camera lens, who was as clean as a blank sheet of paper, but they knew very well what was going on.

This girl's bone structure and temperament are far more in line with the youthful character of the female lead than the shrewd Huang Shengyi from before.

In the last row of the press conference hall, Liu Yuehua silently watched his childhood sweetheart walk to the front of the stage.

In the production system, the losses from changing personnel at the last minute, including the legal procedures and the hidden losses from the production shutdown, amount to around HK$50 per day.

The reason why Stephen Chow dared to make the decision so quickly, besides Huang Shengyi's own self-destructive behavior, was mainly because Liu Yuehua's additional offer was too much in line with his logic.

Liu Shishi acted without receiving any payment, without any commission from her agency, and without requesting any special treatment.

Even a three-year-old could do the math of replacing a completely obedient, free asset with a hot potato that has already collapsed.

……

That night, at the hillside mansion.

Liu Yifei pulled Liu Shishi, who had just returned from the press conference, and they celebrated excitedly in the living room.

Tang Yan, meanwhile, hid alone in the kitchen, blankly washing fruit.

She felt like she'd been given a half-empty bottle of vinegar.

Tang Yan is a veteran actress whom Liu Yuehua mentored when she first debuted in the film "GG". She has suffered a lot on set during this period.

But in the end, the biggest windfall fell on the head of Liu Shishi, who was usually silent.

Just because they were childhood sweethearts?

Tang Yan wasn't stupid; she saw things very clearly.

In this industry, acting skills and hard work are a joke.

Good opportunities are like AZ (Acute Respiratory Syndrome), which can only be transmitted through blood, mother-to-child transmission, and X-ray.

A tiny bit of resources that Liu Yuehua peeks out from between his fingers can instantly elevate an extra to the top.

Liu Yifei goes without saying, and Liu Shishi is also her childhood sweetheart. Tong Yao is far away in the capital, so what about herself?

Tang Yan turned off the tap and looked at her reflection in the glass. She was 19 years old this year, with a pair of rather eye-catching long legs and a pretty face that was nothing special.

Moreover, she is the only truly adult woman in this mansion.

Those two girls are still young, and there are many things Liu Yuehua won't touch, nor can she touch. This is her only, and most promising, bargaining chip at the moment.

……

After 11 p.m., as the sounds from the next room gradually quieted down, Tang Yan took off her conservative nightgown.

She took a white shirt that Liu Yuehua had worn before and put it on.

She wasn't wearing any underwear; the hem barely covered the top of her thighs, and her two long, fair, and straight legs looked exceptionally alluring in the dim light.

What she wanted to present, what she wanted to show her master, was absolute obedience and undisguised ambition.

……

The study door was gently pushed open.

Liu Yuehua was still staring at the data feedback from Taiwanese media on the screen. He didn't turn around, but simply asked a question.

"Didn't I say I wouldn't have a late-night snack tonight?"

Tang Yan didn't say anything; she locked the door behind her.

Liu Yuehua turned around and saw that Tang Yan was only wearing a white shirt and had bare legs.

She was no longer the naive and innocent girl she had been when they first met; her eyes no longer held the shyness of the past, but only a resolute determination that showed she had nothing to lose.

A knowing glint flashed in Liu Yuehua's eyes.

Indeed, it's time for healthy competition.

That's how the entertainment industry is. Given the same circumstances, why would I choose you?

Is it because your appearance is more suitable? Or because your acting skills are more superb?

Liu Yuehua leaned back in his chair, taking the initiative to sized up Tang Yan, who had come to him.

"Director Liu," Tang Yan's voice trembled slightly.

"I'm happy for Shishi that she got the lead role in 'Kung Fu Hustle.' But I don't want to spend my whole life serving tea and water on film sets."

"So what?" Liu Yuehua's voice was completely flat.

Do you think God is unfair? Or do you think I'm being unfair in my dealings with people?

"I don't believe in God, I only believe in you."

"Nothing is predetermined; opportunities are earned through one's own efforts."

Tang Yan did not sit on his lap like last time.

This time, she chose the most humiliating, but also the most direct, stance.

He bent his knees and knelt directly at Liu Yuehua's feet.

The white shirt slipped down, leaving the collar open.

Extensive skin exposed in the air-conditioned study gave me goosebumps.

"Director Liu." Tang Yan raised her head, displaying a submissive posture at the man's feet.

"I know the rules of this industry."

"Shi Shi is clean; you can package her as an immaculate new lady."

"I'm not like her."

"Director Liu, I've been following you for a year now, from when we filmed GG last year until now."

"I understand what kind of lives my classmates lead."

"In terms of acting skills, I'm not as good as them. My classmates privately call me the shame of the Central Academy of Drama."

"In terms of looks, I might be alright."

"I am ambitious, I am jealous, and I can step on others to steal the spotlight on set."

"I know what kind of person you need; you don't need all the characters to be innocent and pure."

Tang Yan grabbed Liu Yuehua's hand and pressed it against her burning cheek.

"I don't care about dignity or freedom. As long as you have a role, even if it's a villainous supporting character that everyone hates, I won't even flinch if you just say the word."

Thank you to Whale Leopard Jump, Super Little White, and Book Friend 7769 for your monthly ticket support!